Lotte Aluminum Expands Cathode Foil Factory for Secondary Batteries

Total Project Investment of 28 Billion Won... Expansion of Ansan 1 Plant Secondary Battery Cathode Foil Production Line

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Yoon-joo] Lotte Aluminium is expanding its production of cathode foils for secondary batteries.

On the 14th, Lotte Aluminium announced that it held a completion ceremony for the expansion of the cathode foil production line at its Ansan Plant 1, located in the Banwol Industrial Complex, Danwon-gu, Ansan, Gyeonggi Province.

Cathode foil is an essential material for secondary batteries, supporting the cathode active material that determines the capacity and voltage of the secondary battery, while also serving as a pathway for electron movement. Additionally, its high thermal conductivity helps dissipate heat inside the battery.

With a total investment of 28 billion KRW, this expansion significantly increased Lotte Aluminium's production capacity of cathode foil for secondary batteries to 12,000 tons. In particular, a dedicated production facility for cathode foil, separate from the existing food-grade aluminum foil production line, was introduced, and a digital technology (DT)-based quality control monitoring system was applied, which is expected to contribute to stable quality assurance and improved production efficiency.

Kim Gyo-hyun, Head of the Chemical BU, said in his commemorative speech, "We plan to continuously expand domestic and overseas production lines to secure a leading position in the rapidly growing market for electric vehicle secondary battery cathode foil. Based on half a century of accumulated aluminum foil production experience and technical know-how, we will leap forward as the world's best specialized cathode foil material company."

Lotte Aluminium, the largest comprehensive packaging material company in Korea, produces aluminum foil, pharmaceutical and food packaging materials, CAN, PET, and various other products. Recently, it has been expanding its business portfolio focusing on cathode foil for electric vehicle secondary batteries in line with the growth of the electric vehicle market.

Furthermore, due to the strengthening of greenhouse gas emission regulations mainly in advanced countries such as Europe, demand for electric vehicle batteries is expected to increase significantly. In response, Lotte Aluminium is proactively investing overseas. Since April this year, it has been constructing a cathode foil production plant for electric vehicles on a 60,000㎡ site in the Tatab?nya Industrial Complex in Hungary, with an investment of 110 billion KRW and an annual production capacity of 18,000 tons. Upon completion at the end of 2021, Lotte Aluminium will have an annual cathode foil production capacity of 30,000 tons.

Lotte Aluminium stated, "By expanding domestic production capacity, we will respond to the increasing demand for cathode foil in Korea, China, and the United States, while also building a production base in Hungary, a key location for the electric vehicle industry, to secure the European eco-friendly electric vehicle market and actively pursue our global business strategy."

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