Takes part in 'Korea International Water Week 2026'

Water reuse volume up 54% over four years

Expands reuse at Icheon, Cheongju plants

Targets cumulative 600 million tons saved by 2030

SK hynix's booth at the Korea International Water Week 2026, held at EXCO in Daegu
SK hynix's booth at the Korea International Water Week 2026, held at EXCO in Daegu

SK hynix reduced its water use by an average of 170,000 tons per day last year at its domestic plants, an amount equivalent to a day's water use for about 550,000 people. The company aims to cut a cumulative 600 million tons of water resources by 2030.

SK hynix said Thursday it will present these water-management achievements and its mid- to long-term goals at the Korea International Water Week 2026, running from Wednesday to Friday at EXCO in Daegu.

SK hynix has operated a water and wastewater reduction task force since 2018, cutting water use in its production processes and expanding reuse. Its cumulative water savings reached 303.37 million tons through last year, surpassing its original target of 264 million tons. The company plans to raise its cumulative savings to 329 million tons this year.

The volume of water being reused is also rising quickly. SK hynix's water reuse volume grew about 54 percent over four years, from 47.88 million tons in 2022 to 73.59 million tons last year.

Semiconductor manufacturing is a water-intensive industry, requiring large volumes of ultrapure water for processes such as wafer cleaning and cooling. As production capacity expands and fabs shift to advanced processes, securing a stable water supply and reuse technology has become increasingly important to fabs' infrastructure competitiveness.

SK hynix is also expanding water reuse tailored to the process characteristics of each plant. Its Icheon plant produces 94,400 tons of reused water per day through a wastewater reuse facility and supplies it to air pollution prevention facilities and other uses. In 2023, its Cheongju plant became the first in South Korea's semiconductor industry to introduce externally treated sewage water for industrial use.

The company is also strengthening water management across the entire cycle, from intake to use, reuse and discharge. It applies advanced treatment processes — including ozone oxidation units, activated carbon and multi-stage coagulation-sedimentation systems — in wastewater treatment, and is developing additional pollutant-reduction technology while continuing related investment.

At this year's Water Week, SK hynix is running an exhibition booth themed "Water Loop," showcasing its key water management activities — including water conservation, reuse and ecosystem preservation — through videos and graphics.

SK hynix also highlighted activities carried out with local communities to monitor the ecological environment. Its ECOSEE citizen science program, run along Anseong Stream, involves local residents directly in surveying plants, birds and aquatic life and compiling data to track ecosystem changes before and after the development of the Yongin semiconductor cluster.

An SK hynix official said, "We will continue to upgrade our water management system to reduce the water essential for semiconductor production and to maximize the reuse of water once it is used," adding, "We will also keep expanding investment in process improvements and related technology and equipment."


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