Helium Crisis Hits Korean Chip Giants
Seoul, March 26 — South Korea's semiconductor industry faces a critical supply chain crisis as Qatar's helium production halt threatens Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix operations.
QatarEnergy declared force majeure this month after Iranian drone strikes disrupted operations at Ras Laffan Industrial City, which produces 33% of global helium . South Korea sources 64.7% of its helium imports from Qatar, creating severe exposure for the world's memory chip leaders .
Both companies maintain approximately six months of inventory, providing temporary relief. However, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won warns the shortage could persist until 2030, potentially causing over 20% wafer production shortfalls .
Samsung has deployed its Helium Reuse System (HeRS) to reduce consumption by 18.6% annually, while SK Hynix is diversifying supply sources to the U.S. and Russia .
The crisis has already erased over 200 billion in combined market value for Korean chipmakers . Industry analysts warn that production prioritization may favor high-margin AI memory chips over consumer components .
With no viable helium substitutes in semiconductor manufacturing, the sector faces prolonged supply constraints until alternative capacity comes online in 4-5 years .
首尔3月26日电 随着卡塔尔氦气生产中断，三星电子与SK海力士运营面临威胁，韩国半导体行业正陷入严重的供应链危机。
卡塔尔能源公司本月因伊朗无人机袭击破坏拉斯拉凡工业城设施而宣布不可抗力。该基地氦气产量占全球33%，而韩国64.7%的进口氦气均来自卡塔尔，令这两大全球存储芯片巨头面临极高供应风险。
两家企业目前均持有约六个月的库存，暂时缓解了燃眉之急。但SK集团会长崔泰源警告，短缺状况可能持续至2030年，或将导致晶圆产量缺口超过20%。
三星已启用氦气回收系统（HeRS），每年可减少18.6%的氦气消耗；SK海力士则正将供应渠道多元化，转向美国与俄罗斯采购。
此次危机已导致韩国芯片厂商合计市值蒸发超2000亿美元。行业分析师警告，企业可能会优先保障高利润的AI存储芯片生产，削减消费电子芯片产能。
由于半导体制造中暂无可行的氦气替代品，在4至5年后新增供应产能投产前，整个行业将长期面临供应紧张局面。
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