China's intellectual property authority has invalidated a key LG Chem patent related to cathode technology, intensifying the patent war between Korean and Chinese battery makers as competition heats up globally.
A battery patent held by LG Chem is being challenged in China, with industry insiders suspecting either a Chinese competitor facing a legal challenge in Korea or a "patent piggybacker" attempting pre-emptive action against future litigation.
Samsung SDI will source 154,000 tons of lithium hydroxide, a critical ingredient in battery production, from EcoPro Innovation through 2033.
The company's Gwangyang plant is producing the EV battery material at record rates for the likes of General Motors, Samsung and LG, producing enough cathode for around 1 million EVs.
Posco Future M broke ground on a high-cathode materials plant in South Jeolla that aims to produce 52,500 tons of NCA cathodes for EV batteries per year.
The Korean company said Wednesday the deal aims to supply 500,000 tons of cathodes between 2026 and 2035.
Ground was broken on LG Chem's 2 trillion won ($1.5 billion) battery materials plant in Tennessee, the largest of its kind in the United States.
The secondary battery stocks that led the Korean markets in the summer have lost their heat partly due to cooling EV demand and plunging lithium prices.
Battery material supplier Posco Future M will produce nickel in the Philippines in cooperation with a local mining company.
SK On, EcoPro BM and Ford will jointly pour 1.2 billion Canadian dollars ($886 million) to construct a cathode plant in Quebec, Canada, the companies announced Thursday.
Korea JoongAng Daily Sitemap
