SK Innovation is starting full-scale development of a solid state battery called the ‘dream battery’.
On the 28th, SK Innovation invested $30 million (about 35.3 billion won) in Solid Power, a leading all-solid-state battery company in the United States, and signed an agreement to jointly develop and produce next-generation all-solid-state batteries. Automakers around the world, such as Ford, BMW, and Hyundai Motors, have also invested in Solid Power.
An all-solid-state battery, also called a ‘game changer’, is a battery that replaces the liquid electrolyte currently applied to batteries with a solid electrolyte. Since liquid electrolytes are vulnerable to fire during external shocks such as accidents, the battery industry is actively developing all-solid-state batteries that can improve the safety of electric vehicles. It was the Toyota-Panasonic alliance that opened the door to the development of all-solid-state batteries, and they unveiled the world’s first demonstration vehicle equipped with all-solid-state batteries right after the Tokyo Olympics.
Recently, the global battery and automobile industry is focusing on increasing the energy density of all-solid-state batteries to increase the driving range.
First, the two companies decided to develop an all-solid-state battery using the NCM (nickel, cobalt, manganese) anode material and silicon anode material of the existing lithium-ion battery. Through this, the energy density is planned to be realized at more than 930Wh per liter. The energy density of lithium-ion batteries currently used in general is about 700Wh per liter.
This means that an electric vehicle that can run 700 km on a single charge can travel 930 km if it is equipped with an all-solid-state battery of the same size. In particular, the two companies decided to develop an all-solid-state battery that can also be produced at existing lithium-ion battery manufacturing facilities. This is a measure to save cost and time by minimizing additional equipment investment. In addition to price competitiveness, it is expected that mass production will be accelerated.
The industry is also paying attention to the background of SK Innovation, which split the battery business into SK On, to invest in all-solid-state batteries. An SK Innovation official said, “In relation to batteries, future technology areas will be handled by SK innovation, and existing technology areas will be handled by SK On.” did. SK, which has accumulated the world’s top order balance in the electric vehicle battery market through joint ventures with Ford, is determined to preoccupy the all-solid-state battery market.
SK Innovation is continuously conducting research for the development of all-solid-state batteries, such as starting solid electrolyte research with Professor John Goodinough, University of Texas, USA, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry last year.
Recently, SK On is also accelerating the expansion of its portfolio by developing LFP (lithium iron phosphate) batteries. Founded in 2012, Solid Power has a test production line at its headquarters in Colorado, USA, and is producing prototypes and solid electrolytes. Solid Power has announced that it will build additional solid electrolyte production facilities.
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