GS Caltex
The Yeosu Complex covers about 6 million square metres, with a mixed feed cracker completed in November 2022 producing 900,000 tonnes of ethylene a year.
Yeosu is a south coast city of about 269,000 people hosting a major refining and petrochemical complex. GS Caltex's Yeosu Complex and Lotte Chemical's Yeosu plant create large Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas. Distribution partners for Yeosu are being identified ahead of the Q4 2026 launch of the IS-04Z1.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. Yeosu has no appointed SAMS distributor yet: the IS-04Z1 is pre-launch (certification in progress, no certificate issued, launch planned for Q4 2026), and distributor applications are open.
Status: pre-launch. IECEx, ATEX, UKEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress and no certificate has been issued; launch is planned for Q4 2026. Operator approval runs on its own timeline. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of conformity | Number checkable on the IECEx online register | In progress; not issued |
| Standards edition | The IEC 60079 edition the certificate cites | Stated on the certificate when issued |
| Schedule of conditions | Limits of use, batteries and accessories | Published with the certificate |
| Where it applies | Yeosu: Chemical storage tank farms, Marine loading jetties, Refinery process units | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Yeosu. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
A short profile of the site and the kinds of classified area that matter for portable equipment.
The Yeosu Complex covers about 6 million square metres, with a mixed feed cracker completed in November 2022 producing 900,000 tonnes of ethylene a year.
Korea approved a restructuring plan in July 2026 involving Lotte Chemical's Yeosu operations and the Yeochun NCC integration.
In November 2022 the company completed a 2.7 trillion won mixed feed cracker near the Yeosu No. 2 Complex, with annual capacity of 900,000 tonnes of ethylene and 500,000 tonnes of polyethylene.
The company imports around 80 types of crude from about 30 countries and exported to 57 countries in 2022, so tanker and product shipping through the Yeosu coast is continuous.
The aromatics business started in 1990, with annual capacity of 3.0 million tonnes of aromatics and 180,000 tonnes of polypropylene, so benzene-type vapour hazards exist alongside fuel and olefin units.
GS Caltex has a refining capacity of about 800,000 barrels per stream day, and it operates Korea's largest heavy oil upgrading facility at 275,000 barrels a day, cracking heavy residues into lighter fuels.
IECEx is the international scheme for certifying equipment used in explosive atmospheres. A certificate of conformity is issued by an accredited certification body against a specific edition of the IEC 60079 standards and carries a schedule of conditions of safe use. It is not a legal requirement in most countries on its own, but many national schemes accept it as the technical basis.
The IECEx certificate for the IS-04Z1 is in progress and has not been issued. The marking target is Ex ib IIC T4, the intrinsic safety concept for Zone 1 gas with the hardest gas group (IIC) and a 135 °C temperature class.
In Yeosu. Yeosu's complex relies on overseas technology licensors and specialist contractors for large projects. IECEx gives them a single certificate of conformity and schedule of conditions to review. The IS-04Z1 has neither document yet, since certification is in progress, so only the planned route can be discussed.
SAMS is appointing authorised distributors ahead of the Q4 2026 launch. No territory has been granted for Yeosu yet and applications are reviewed company by company. Because a certified Ex device cannot be opened by an ordinary phone workshop without invalidating its certificate, SAMS looks for partners who can provide competent technical support and after-sales service locally.
Not yet. The IS-04Z1 is pre-launch and its certification is still in progress ahead of a Q4 2026 launch. No unit goes into a classified area before the certificate covering it exists. The datasheet, the certification schedule and safe-area evaluation units are available now.
No price is published. While certification is in progress there is no list price and no committed lead time, and a supplier quoting a firm figure for an uncertified Ex handset is promising something it cannot stand behind. Indicative pre-launch pricing is issued in writing against a stated quantity and site.
No. The IECEx certificate is in progress and has not been issued. SAMS will publish the number when it exists.
Likely candidates are refinery process units, ethylene cracker and polymer plants, chemical storage tank farms, marine loading jetties. Which areas are classified, and to what zone, is set by the site operator's own area classification drawings.
Apply through the distributor page with your company details and the territory you cover. SAMS reviews applications company by company and has not yet granted a territory for Yeosu.
Large operators such as GS Caltex normally run vendor registration and safety induction processes, with permits for work in classified areas. Confirm the current requirements directly with the plant's procurement and safety departments before mobilising equipment.
Yes. June to August brings more than 200 mm of rain a month and high humidity, followed by cold winters. Typically devices need good water ingress protection and cleaning routines, and battery performance should be checked in cold weather.
Yeosu has heavy rain from June to August, which affects outdoor rounds and jetty work. The IS-04Z1 is designed to IP68 for dust and water, but that does not give explosion protection. Plan handling and charging in dry, safe areas and check with the operator.
More on Yeosu, and on other places in South Korea.
Tell us what you need to equip and where. The SAMS team answers by email with the datasheet and where each certification route stands.
Name the site and the operator and we will send what is available before launch.