According to South Korean sources, the government of the Republic of Korea intends to invest in the development of new generation batteries. This will translate into direct funding for companies such as LG Chem and Samsung SDI, as well as facilitating the convergence of battery and electric vehicle manufacturers. The South Korean authorities do not expect help from the "invisible hand of the market" and intend to use the proven tools of protectionism and subsidies.
According to reports The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) intends to invest $25,3 million (30 billion won) over the next five years in various next-generation battery development projects. The Korean authorities hope to push companies to develop new types of batteries as soon as possible and thereby make a number of promising sectors of the national economy a leader on the world stage.
Investment in LG Chem promises to accelerate the emergence of batteries. The company is currently preparing to release lithium-sulphur batteries in 2030, but government assistance could speed up the process.
The lithium-sulfur battery promises to increase the range of an electric vehicle, since its energy density is two to three times higher than that of a lithium-ion battery. And since there is a lot of sulfur in nature, the cost of producing such batteries can be reduced. The disadvantage of such batteries is the need for a large amount of liquid electrolyte, which increases the risk of fire. The technology that LG Chem has developed together with scientists from the KAIST Institute promises to reduce risks. Together they figured out how to significantly reduce the volume of electrolyte for lithium-sulfur batteries.
From Samsung SDI, the authorities are waiting for the development of fully solid-state batteries, in which even the electrolyte will be solid. This condition requires significant efforts of researchers, since it is necessary to increase the conductivity of ions in solid energy carriers and make many other discoveries. Researchers at Samsung SDI are working on solid-state batteries with their colleagues at the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology. The commercial launch of such new energy storage systems is expected in 2027. Help from the authorities can also hasten the approach of this event.
Finally, the South Korean authorities are promoting rapprochement between battery and electric vehicle manufacturers. Such alliances promise to create machines and batteries that are perfectly matched to each other, with convenient operation of one and the other. Since May of this year, the leadership of Samsung, LG Chem, Hyundai Motor Company, as well as representatives of the authorities of the Republic of Korea, have been holding regular meetings to agree on issues of cooperation and reflect this in state programs for the development of the country, energy and other things.
Source:
Source: 3dnews.ru