Diesel Trucks to Disappear from Future Semiconductor Factories

SK Hynix to Replace All 1t Trucks with Electric Vehicles Within 5 Years
Samsung Electronics Designates 5 Domestic Semiconductor Sites as 'Diesel Vehicle Restricted Zones'
All Work Vehicles Including Partners to Switch to Zero-Emission by 2030

[Asia Economy Reporter Suyeon Woo] Diesel trucks are expected to disappear from future semiconductor factories. As the semiconductor industry strengthens ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) management one after another, they plan to completely replace diesel trucks with eco-friendly freight vehicles that can easily reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

According to the industry on the 9th, SK Hynix began replacing diesel freight vehicles operating at domestic sites with electric vehicles last year. There are about 100 freight trucks transporting raw materials and products in and out of the sites, and the amount of exhaust they emit daily reaches 8 tons, totaling 2,600 tons annually.

SK Hynix started replacing 1-ton small trucks, which account for 40 out of the 100 vehicles, and plans to replace all 1-ton vehicles within the sites with electric vehicles within the next five years. Currently, seven electric vehicles operate at the Icheon plant and three at the Cheongju plant. If all 1-ton vehicles across all sites are replaced with electric vehicles, an annual greenhouse gas reduction effect of about 400 tons is expected.

Kia Bongo 1t Truck Electric Vehicle (Unrelated to Article Content)

Earlier, Samsung Electronics signed a 'Green Mobility Transition Practice Agreement' with the Ministry of Environment and announced plans to convert all business vehicles to zero-emission vehicles by 2030. Samsung Electronics is the first to plan to convert all business vehicle types, including executive vehicles, freight trucks, cleaning vehicles, and even partner company vehicles, to zero-emission vehicles such as electric and hydrogen vehicles.

In particular, starting this month, Samsung Electronics designated five domestic semiconductor sites (Giheung, Hwaseong, Pyeongtaek, Onyang, Cheonan) as restricted zones for diesel vehicles, preventing diesel vehicles from entering the sites. However, partner company vehicles that have submitted replacement plans in advance are temporarily allowed access. Currently, about 3,700 vehicles enter and exit the five sites, of which 80% are diesel vehicles.

The semiconductor industry is also strengthening environmental management by reducing greenhouse gases in semiconductor manufacturing processes. Samsung Electronics expanded the use of renewable energy within its sites and improved and replaced process gas treatment facilities, achieving a reduction of 7,091,000 tons of greenhouse gases last year, a 39% increase compared to the previous year.

Samsung introduced an optimization system to reduce the use of 'process gases,' the main cause of greenhouse gases widely used in semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and began developing 'alternative gases' with lower greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, it switched to using 100% renewable energy for electricity used at all sites in the United States, Europe, and China, and installed solar power facilities at the Suwon and Giheung sites in Korea, as well as solar and geothermal power facilities at the Pyeongtaek site.

SK Hynix has established a three-step treatment process for the proper decomposition of process gases and developed a 'De-NOx system' that removes nitrogen oxides, a cause of fine dust, planning to expand its application to the new M16 plant. Furthermore, to increase the use of renewable energy, SK Hynix installed solar power facilities at the Icheon site and introduced hydropower using an integrated wastewater treatment plant. SK Hynix is the first in the memory semiconductor industry to join 'RE100' and plans to supply 100% of its required electricity from renewable energy by 2050.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.