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Gyeongsangbuk-do, Pohang-si, and POSCO Chemical sign MOU 상세내용
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- Gyeongsangbuk-do, Pohang-si, and POSCO Chemical sign MOU
- 등록일2021-10-12 14:00:39
- 작성자 investment [ 권석호 ☎054-880-4612 ]
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Gyeongsangbuk-do and Pohang-si took a major step in consolidating their status as leading forces of the K-battery industry.
According to the province and city governments, they signed a memorandum of erstanding (MOU) on July 8 for an investment to build a new secondary batteries cathode plant with POSCO Chemical. The signing ceremony was attended by Gyeongsangbuk-do Governor Lee Chul-woo, Pohang-si Mayor Lee Gang-deok, POSCO Chemical CEO Min Kyung-joon, and other guests.
er the MOU, POSCO Chemical, the world’s sole company supplying both cathode and anode materials for secondary batteries, will invest KRW 600 billion to build a cathode plant with an annual production capacity of 60,000 t on a 122,100 m2 (37,000 pyeong) area in the Yeongilman 4th General Industrial Complex by 2024, creating aro 230 new jobs.
The cathode plant investment deal is expected to be followed by large-scale investments in the secondary battery sector, including precursor, lithium, and recycling plants.
One of the new growth engine businesses pursued by POSCO Group is the secondary battery material business. In preparation for the fast-paced growth of the electric vehicle and battery markets, POSCO Chemical is rapidly expanding its cathode production capacity. The company plans to expand its production lines in its Gwangyang plant, increasing the company’s annual production capacity from 40,000 t to 100,000 t by 2023. Moreover, the Pohang plant construction will see the company securing a total production capacity of 160,000 t by 2025 in Korea alone.
Among the four main materials used in batteries (cathode, anode, separator, and electrolyte), cathode is one of the key components that determine battery capacity, that is, the driving distance of a fully charged vehicle. In fact, cathode takes up nearly 40% of the manufacturing cost of batteries. A vehicle using nickel, cobalt, manganese, and aluminum (NCMA) cathode produced by POSCO Chemical can drive more than 500 km when fully charged.
POSCO Group has also set out to produce lithium, another primary material used in batteries. In collaboration with the Research Institute of Industrial Science & Technology (RIST), the group developed a technology for extracting lithium from saltwater and minerals. On June 26, after operating a “demo plant” (commissioning facility) for more than two years, the company broke the gro for a 43,000 t capacity lithium hydroxide plant in Gwangyang. Lithium is one of the main ingredients of cathode. In 2018, the group purchased a lithium salt lake in Argentina and built a 25,000 t capacity lithium production in the area to secure a stable supply of materials for its battery material business. With these efforts, POSCO Group seeks to lead the market ranks by establishing itself as a battery material manufacturer with a on raw material, cathode, and anode production.
POSCO Chemical has also invested KRW 250 billion in Pohang Blue Valley for an artificial graphite anode plant with an annual capacity of 16,000 t by 2023. Phase 1 of the project will be completed in December, adding aro 8,000 t to the company’s total annual production capacity.
With the completion of the cathode plant in the Yeongilman 4th General Industrial Complex, Pohang is expected to cement its status as a K-battery leader by securing infrastructure for both cathode and anode materials.
Meanwhile, Gyeongsangbuk-do and Pohang-si also received a KRW 1 trillion investment from ECOPRO in 2018 for a new secondary battery material production and battery recycling plant. POSCO Chemical then built its cathode plant in 2019. GS E&C also launched its own battery recycling business and built a foation for the integration of secondary battery–related companies, including the KRW 100 billion investment for a plant construction project, which is expected to be completed this August.
POSCO Chemical CEO Min Kyung-joon said, “POSCO Chemical plans to expand its cathode production capacity and expects to enhance its competitiveness in the secondary battery business through this investment.”
Mayor Lee Gang-deok commented, “POSCO Chemical’s large-scale investment, which comes after other investments by ECOPRO and GS E&C, will usher in other investments from secondary battery material producers in the region, serving as a foation for Pohang’s leading role in the K-battery industry.” He further added, “We will our administrative capabilities on fostering the secondary battery industry to prepare for the post-steel era, create jobs, and boost local economy and growth.”
Ultimately, Governor Lee Chul-woo said, “Pohang, the City of Steel, is transing itself into a city of battery in the Fourth Industrial Revolution Era.” He added, “To prepare for the coming of the New Northern Era, we will commit our administrative capabilities to trans the Yeongilman Port as a maritime logistics, business, and tourism hub for the East Sea Rim Region and foster a secondary battery ecosystem for technology development and manufacturing innovation, creating jobs to retain young workers in the area.”
- 담당부서 :
- Gyeongsangbuk-do Provincial Gove
- 전화번호 :
- 054-880-4614
