LG Energy Solution to Establish Global Technology Hub at Ochang Energy Plant

600 Billion Won for Pouch Long Cell Battery Motherline
Total 4 Trillion Won Including Test Research Building Construction by 2026

LG Energy Solution has embarked on an investment to develop the Ochang Energy Plant into a global technology hub for battery manufacturing plants, known as the 'Mother Factory.'

On the 25th, LG Energy Solution announced that it will invest 600 billion KRW in 'Energy Plant 2' in Ochang, Cheongju, Chungbuk, to establish the 'Mother Line.'

LG Energy Solution Ochang Energy Plant Panorama

The Mother Line enables not only pilot production of products applying next-generation design and process technologies but also verification of mass production feasibility. In the manufacturing industry, pilot lines typically allow only pilot production, requiring separate follow-up work such as mass production testing.

LG Energy Solution plans to conduct pilot production and mass production verification of 'pouch long-cell batteries' on this Mother Line and expand it to global production lines. Completion is targeted for December 2024.

Through the establishment of the Mother Line, it is expected to respond more effectively to diverse customer demands and significantly shorten the time required to stabilize mass production of new models.

As the global electric vehicle market rapidly grows, centered on the North American market, automakers' demands for various prototype production and manufacturing are gradually increasing. Pouch long-cell batteries are among the representative products with ongoing demands for large-scale prototype supply.

An LG Energy Solution official stated, "As global battery demand expands, the importance of mass production leadership that can produce high-quality products in a timely manner is increasing," adding, "By establishing the Mother Line, we will provide customers with world-class QCD (Quality, Cost, Delivery) and thereby secure more differentiated competitiveness."

An LG Energy Solution employee is providing remote support to local staff at the Poland factory from the FMCC located in the LG Energy Solution Ochang Energy Plant.

In particular, LG Energy Solution plans to develop the Ochang Energy Plant into the Mother Factory of battery manufacturing plants operating worldwide. This investment is also a strategic decision to make the Ochang Energy Plant the center of research and development (R&D) and manufacturing. Since June last year, it has been investing 580 billion KRW to build a new form factor (4680) Mother Line for cylindrical batteries, and all verification of next-generation core products is being conducted in Ochang.

LG Energy Solution is digitizing the appearance of global production lines at the Ochang Energy Plant through video data and is also establishing the Factory Monitoring Control Center (FMCC), a deep learning system based on artificial intelligence (AI). It is also focusing on nurturing next-generation battery experts through the world’s first battery specialized educational institution, ‘LG IBT (Institute of Battery Tech).’

LG Energy Solution Vice Chairman Kwon Young-soo said, "The Ochang Energy Plant is the control tower where new technologies are first applied among all global plants and is the center of LG Energy Solution’s global manufacturing plants," adding, "We will continue efforts to become the ‘most profitable company trusted and loved by customers’ through bold investments."

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