The National Fire Agency said on the 20th it will lower and apply more flexibly the thresholds for hazardous materials permits and fire safety regulations to ensure the success of the "Korea great leap three mega projects" being pushed by the Lee Jae-myung administration.
The National Fire Agency earlier drafted revisions to the Enforcement Rule of the Hazardous Materials Safety Control Act and created a new "special case for general handling stations in semiconductor manufacturing processes." The centerpiece is introducing special standards by building and compartment unit types for semiconductor plants and cleanroom-tailored ventilation and exhaust system standards.
To facilitate smooth installation of cleanroom fire suppression systems at semiconductor plants, the agency also prepared a partial amendment notice to the Detailed Standards on Hazardous Materials Safety Control and began a pre-announcement of legislation through Sept. 9.
Previously, each pump had to be connected with an individual pipe (dedicated suction line) to supply water to fire suppression systems. Considering the unique on-site conditions of semiconductor plants that require multiple fire water tanks, the National Fire Agency included in the partial amendment notice a new allowance for a method in which multiple pumps share a single pipe (header suction line).
The National Fire Agency projected that introducing the header suction line would shorten construction periods and reduce construction expense associated with installing fire suppression systems. It will also pursue rationalizing installation standards for fixed foam fire suppression systems and expanding the types of extinguishing agents and charging pressure ranges for nitrogen gas pre-pressurization methods widely used internationally.
Centering on the Hazardous Materials Safety Management Working Council formed in April with Samsung Electronics(005930), SK hynix(000660), and DB HiTek(000990), the National Fire Agency plans to resolve corporations' regulatory risks such as shortening construction periods and reducing rework expense.
Choi Yong-cheol, acting commissioner of the National Fire Agency, said, "Through a regular meeting of the council with the semiconductor industry and fire departments this month, we will promptly gather even the smallest voices from the field," adding, "Based on this, we will push ahead swiftly with practical institutional improvements and provide full support for the successful completion of the national advanced semiconductor mega project with bold regulatory innovation that corporations can feel."
President Lee Jae-myung announced the Korea great leap three mega projects at a national briefing in June. With a total investment of 4,755 trillion won, the plan calls for building a Honam semiconductor cluster, Chungcheong-Gangwon AI data centers, and a Yeongnam physical AI industrial complex.