South Korea’s Lotte Energy Materials Corp. will partner with Samsung SDI Co. to develop solid electrolyte materials for solid-state batteries, according to industry sources on Monday.

Sources noted that Lotte Energy Materials is carrying out a national project on solid electrolytes with Samsung SDI and Cosmo Advanced Materials & Technology Co.

Lotte Energy Materials and Cosmo Advanced Materials will jointly develop sulfide-based solid electrolytes in collaboration with the Korea Electronics Technology Institute (KETI). Samsung SDI will participate in the project as a customer in demand.

Solid electrolytes are a key material for all-solid-state batteries. With higher energy density and reduced risk of fire or explosion compared to traditional lithium-ion batteries, all-solid-state batteries are considered promising next-generation batteries.

Lotte Energy Materials aims to enhance its corporate value by partnering with Samsung SDI to develop next-generation materials, moving beyond its core business of copper foil, a material used for secondary batteries.

Samsung SDI is highly regarded for its leading position in the field of all-solid-state batteries. With its all-solid-state battery pilot line in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, the company has set the commercialization target for sulfide-based all-solid-state batteries in 2027.

Lotte Energy Materials is planning to start the construction of a solid electrolyte pilot facility as early as this month. It has already achieved the technical readiness of solid electrolytes on a laboratory scale and plans to proceed with trial production on a pilot plant scale next year.

Lotte Energy Materials has been keen on all-solid-state batteries since before its predecessor, Iljin Materials, was acquired by Lotte Group.

Iljin Materials invested 10.6 billion won ($7.9 million) in the U.S. all-solid-state battery technology company Factorial Inc. Lotte Energy Materials is also conducting R&D on silicon composite anode materials, as well as lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathode materials.

By Jung You-jung and Chang Iou-chung

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