Korea Zinc has achieved a significant milestone in its sustainability efforts by obtaining a Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) certification for its semiconductor sulfuric acid from the Carbon Trust, a global climate change specialist organization based in the United Kingdom. Korea Zinc announced on Dec. 9 that the certification underscores its commitment to reducing its carbon emissions and enhancing its environmental management practices.

Semiconductor sulfuric acid, a by-product generated during Korea Zinc’s smelting process, plays a crucial role in the semiconductor manufacturing process. It is used to remove impurities from the wafer surface, a step that is essential for ensuring the yield and reliability of semiconductors. This cleaning process accounts for about one-third of the entire semiconductor manufacturing process. As of last year, Korea Zinc’s annual production capacity for semiconductor sulfuric acid stood at 240 thousand tons, with 98% of this quantity supplied to major semiconductor companies such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. This supply accounts for approximately 65% of the domestic market for semiconductor sulfuric acid.

The Carbon Trust, established by the UK government in 2001, is renowned for its expertise in climate change response and carbon reduction. The organization provides guidance and certification to help companies manage their carbon footprints. Tom Cumberlege, Director at the Carbon Trust Certification Body, praised Korea Zinc’s systematic approach to data management for calculating product carbon emissions. “Korea Zinc’s data management for calculating product carbon emissions is very systematically operated, and it will serve as a model for non-ferrous metal companies in managing their product carbon footprints in the future,” he stated.

Korea Zinc’s Vice President, Kim Ki-jun, emphasized the company’s dedication to sustainable management in light of increasingly stringent global environmental regulations. “With global environmental regulations being strengthened, we will further enhance our carbon reduction activities to achieve sustainable management and secure competitiveness in the global market,” he said.