The South Korean company SK IE Technology (SKIET) will supply battery separator films for 300,000 electric vehicles to LG Chem by next year. The films will later be delivered to LG Energy Solution’s North American plants.
According to media reports from South Korea, SK IE Technology has already delivered the first batch to LG Chem this month. LG Chem will coat the separator foils and then deliver the coated separators to LG Energy Solution’s North American plants. The separators are located between the anode and the cathode in the finished battery cell. The safety-relevant component is intended to prevent an internal short circuit in the cell, but must also enable the flow of electrons.
LGES apparently intends to ramp up its battery production significantly in North America in the second half of 2025. LGES is General Motors’ joint venture partner for Ultium Cells, has completely taken over the almost completed Ultium Clees factory in Michigan, is also building a cell factory in Georgia together with Hyundai and plans to commission its own US cell factory in Arizona in early 2026. The order from SKIET is therefore seen as part of the efforts to secure the supply chain in good time.
The order reportedly has a volume of 110 billion won (66.8 million euros). The sales price is said to be below average. However, the increased production should help to “improve SKIET’s utilization rates and overall operational efficiency,” as Pulse writes.
However, there were apparently other reasons, not just the agreed unit price: “This order was mainly due to quality competitiveness as well as price competitiveness due to tariffs imposed on Chinese products,” a company representative is quoted as saying.
In February, SKIET signed a similar supply deal with the Chinese battery cell manufacturer Gotion High-Tech, which was seeking a supply for its factories in Slovakia and the US state of Illinois.
