Hanwha Total Completes Pilot Plant for High-Value Solar Film Materials

Full-Scale Promotion of Commercial Factory Construction with Annual Production of 100,000 Tons

Hanwha TotalEnergies is expanding its high value-added materials business.

On the 29th, Hanwha TotalEnergies announced that it held a completion ceremony for the polyolefin elastomer (POE) pilot plant as the first joint project with Hanwha Solutions and TotalEnergies at the Daesan plant in Chungnam.

Hanwha TotalEnergies POE Pilot Plant Exterior View

Executives from shareholders and affiliates attended the event, including Na Sang-seop, CEO of Hanwha TotalEnergies; Thierry Bouffoua, Senior Vice President of Hanwha TotalEnergies; Kim Hee-cheol, CEO of Hanwha Impact; Nam Yi-hyun, Head of Hanwha Solutions Chemical Division; and Fran?ois Gout, SVP of Refining & Petrochemicals at TotalEnergies.

The POE plant was constructed with an investment of approximately 34 billion KRW over about 18 months since August 2021. It produces 200 tons of POE products annually and is equipped to test key processes.

POE has a much lower density, higher elasticity, and superior impact strength compared to conventional polyethylene products, making it suitable for materials in automotive interior and exterior parts, food packaging, footwear, and wires. Recently, it has attracted attention as a film material for solar panels, with the global market expected to grow annually by 6.9% to reach 6.3 billion USD by 2030.

Hanwha TotalEnergies is responsible for the construction and operation of the pilot plant, Hanwha Solutions handles the POE production process technology, and TotalEnergies is in charge of the catalyst technology required for product manufacturing. Through the POE pilot testing, Hanwha TotalEnergies plans to complete the basic design of a commercial plant within one year and proceed with full-scale investment.

CEO Na Sang-seop stated, "The POE pilot project is significant as the first case where Hanwha TotalEnergies and both shareholders have synergistically promoted it. We plan to focus more on expanding the proportion of high value-added products to secure the company’s sustainable competitiveness, including entering the POE business, which is gaining attention as a next-generation solar material."

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