The global battery industry has entered a new paradigm. Competitions between battery manufacturers in trying to develop battery technologies that will increase ranges of electric vehicles have been getting more intensified. Even automakers have been announcing that they plan to enter the industry in order to secure growing demands for batteries. In the end, the industry has emerged as a key industry for countries. President Biden made an emphasis that batteries are the infrastructure of the United States. President Moon of South Korea also announced that his administration would prepare comprehensive support measures for the battery industry in South Korea by calling it the ‘second semiconductor’. ‘Battery Day 2021’, which will be held online by the Electronic Times this Wednesday, is a place where one can see the latest trends on battery technologies and changes in the global battery industry.
◊Battery Day 2021 to have presentations on latest battery technologies
Electric vehicle (EV) batteries are going through an evolution to a next generation. In a short term, ‘high-nickel batteries’ with high nickel content will become the mainly used EV batteries. In a long term, all-solid-state batteries will eventually replace high-nickel batteries. Nickel is deeply related to electric vehicle’s range. Higher nickel content will increase energy density which will then provide higher range for an electric vehicle. However, raising nickel content however requires advanced technologies as higher nickel content makes batteries structurally unstable. A representative from LG Energy Solution that has become the first to commercialize high-nickel batteries with 90% nickel content will make a keynote speech.
The Battery Day 2021 will also hold presentations on all-solid-state batteries that are seen as a ‘dream battery’. All-solid-state batteries that have less chance of explosion or fire risk by utilizing solid electrolytes are expected to be commercialized sometime between 2025 and 2027. Although Toyota is reported to be a frontrunner in development of all-solid-state batteries through foreign press, there has also been active R&D on the batteries in South Korea as well. Key researchers from the Korea Electronics Technology Institute, Isu Chemical, and Cosmo Advanced Materials will talk about all-solid-state battery technologies in detail.
◊Battery Day 2021 to have presentations on latest trends on battery production
EV battery is like the engine of a car that runs on internal combustion. This is why automakers such as Tesla and Volkswagen are trying to internalize EV batteries and why competitions in the battery market have been very fierce. Battery equipment is a good indicator that shows latest trends on investments in batteries. Northvolt, which is a Sweden-based company that is at the forefront in trying to help Europe become independent on EV batteries, is increasing number of purchases of South Korean battery equipment.
CIS and Innometry that will give presentations at the Battery Day 2021 are South Korean battery equipment manufacturers that have been sought out by both domestic and foreign battery manufacturers. CIS is a company that specializes in battery electrode equipment and it makes equipment that corresponds to the front-end process of rechargeable batteries. Innometry is drawing attention with its battery inspection system that utilizes X-ray. As safety of batteries has emerged as an important issue in this day and age of EVs, importance of battery inspection technologies and demands for battery inspection equipment have been growing.
◊Battery Day 2021 to have many experts as presenters
The Battery Day 2021 is going to be a place where one can listen to detailed explanations from researchers who are actually in charge of development of technologies and oversee operation from different companies and institutions. Choi Seung-don, who is the director of LG Energy Solution’s development center, is a key person who oversees development of EV batteries at LG Energy Solution. Chairman Lim Dong-jun of Umicore Korea oversees a global cathode material manufacturer Umicore’s business in South Korea. CEO Oh Jeong-kang of Enchem is a top expert in the field of electrolyte in South Korea and he has recently been working on development of additive technology that will strengthen performance of electrolytes.
Cho Woo-seok, who holds a doctoral degree and works for the Korea Electronics Technology Institute, is an expert who is responsible for development of all-solid-state batteries at the institute’s Next-Generation Battery Research Center. He played an important role in transferring a material technology related to all-solid-state battery to CIS in December last year. Besides these people, other experts such as Oh In-cheol who is in charge of development of raw materials of all-solid-state battery at CIS and Jung Hyuk who oversees battery materials at Cosmo Advanced Materials will also give presentations at the Battery Day 2021.
Staff Reporter Yun, Geonil | benyun@etnews.com & Staff Reporter Kim, Jiwoong | jw0316@etnews.com