[Special Stock] POSCO Chemical Mass Produces 600Km Electric Vehicle Batteries... Leading the 3rd Generation Electric Vehicle Market

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyungsoo Park] POSCO Chemical is showing continuous strength. The news that it has completed the development of NCMA cathode materials, a core material for next-generation electric vehicle batteries, and has started commercial production appears to have influenced the stock price.

As of 11:08 AM on the 17th, POSCO Chemical is trading at 72,500 KRW, up 5.38% from the previous day.

NCMA cathode materials are manufactured by adding Al (aluminum) to the existing high-nickel NCM (nickel-cobalt-manganese composition) cathode materials, which is a necessary material to increase the driving range of electric vehicles.

POSCO Chemical has been developing technology to supply NCMA cathode materials for electric vehicle batteries, aiming to supply top-tier battery manufacturers. It has completed customer evaluations of prototypes and is preparing for commercial production. According to customer orders, it plans to start commercial production by first utilizing production lines established in Gumi and Gwangyang.

A POSCO Chemical official explained, "NCMA cathode materials increase the nickel content to over 80%, significantly enhancing battery capacity, while our independently developed Al doping process uniformly arranges aluminum within the physical structure of the material and applies surface coating technology to improve both output and stability."

NCMA cathode materials will be applied to third-generation electric vehicles capable of driving 500 to 600 km on a single charge. It is expected that once third-generation electric vehicles are commercialized, they will be able to compete fully with internal combustion engine vehicles. As the cost burden of cobalt, a scarce metal with high price and volatility, decreases, battery prices are also expected to drop significantly.

Kim Dohyung, head of POSCO Chemical’s Energy Materials Research Institute, said, "We will accelerate the advanced development of materials to prepare for future demand and lead the battery materials market," adding, "We will rise to become the global number one in the energy materials field with innovative products that satisfy customers and the market."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.