LG Chem Invests in Aerogel Facility

LG Chem Invests in Aerogel Production Facility LG Chem held a groundbreaking ceremony for South Korea's first supercritical pyrolysis facility and a next-generation insulation material aerogel production plant at the Seokmun National Industrial Complex in Dangjin, Chungnam. The ceremony was attended by Joo Young-hoon, Secretary of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy; Oh Seong Hwan, Mayor of Dangjin; Hak Cheol Shin, Chairman of LG Chem; and KUG LAE, NOH, Vice Chairman. Steven Mahon, CEO of UK-based Mura, which agreed to provide technical support to the facility, and Hyeon Sung Hong, CEO of Hyundai Engineering, were also present at the event. LG Chem plans to invest a total of KRW 31 billion by 2024 to construct a supercritical pyrolysis facility and an aerogel production plant—a next-generation insulation material—on a 240,000 m² area (equivalent to 32 football fields) at the Seokmun National Industrial Park, with the aim of developing environmentally friendly operations in the future. Aerogel is produced using proprietary technology developed by LG Chem and is lightweight, consisting of more than 95% gas, with properties that make it resistant to both water and fire. When used particularly as an insulation material for pipes and equipment at industrial sites, heat losses can be minimized. Depending on demand for environmentally friendly energy transport (liquefied hydrogen), storage, and heat shielding, aerogel is expected to achieve market growth exceeding 30% annually. Hak Cheol Shin, Chairman of LG Chem, stated: "The Dangjin facility will become a global hub for the eco-friendly materials sector. As a leading company in the petrochemical industry, LG Chem will play a pioneering role in achieving sustainable development and carbon neutrality targets." Source