Ecopro BM, Soulbrain, and Aekyung Chemical Join Forces for Sodium-Ion Battery Material Development

Building a Non-Chinese SIB Value Chain; Leading the Localization of Battery Material Supply Chains
Targeting Global Customers with a Comprehensive SIB Solution: Cathode, Electrolyte, and Anode Packages

Ecopro BM announced on July 26 that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Soulbrain and Aekyung Chemical at its Ochang headquarters in North Chungcheong Province, launching the "K-Sodium Alliance."

(From left) Hyunsu Jeong, Head of Future Technology at Ecopro BM; Kyungse Choi, Director of Central Research Institute at Soulbrain; Junhyung Kim, Director of Central Research Institute at Aekyung Chemical. Ecopro

Sodium-ion batteries, a next-generation battery technology, use sodium—which is more abundant and less expensive than lithium—as a raw material. They are recognized for their strong price competitiveness, outstanding safety, long lifespan, and excellent performance at low temperatures, making them a promising alternative for the energy storage system (ESS) and mass-market electric vehicle sectors.

Under this agreement, Ecopro BM will focus on developing and securing mass production technology for SIB (sodium-ion battery) cathode materials; Soulbrain will be responsible for electrolyte and additive technologies; and Aekyung Chemical will take charge of developing and securing mass production capabilities for hard carbon.

The three companies also plan to provide each other with their developed materials to optimize performance, share evaluation results, and jointly promote their solutions in global markets based on this collaboration.

Ecopro BM will oversee the overall project, leveraging its existing pilot production line and expertise in SIB cathode materials.

Kyungse Choi, Director of the Central Research Institute at Soulbrain, stated, "It is highly meaningful that domestic battery materials companies have established a collaborative framework to strengthen competitiveness in next-generation sodium-ion battery technologies. We will actively cooperate so that the K-Sodium Alliance serves as a catalyst for creating a domestic SIB ecosystem and enhancing global competitiveness."

Junhyung Kim, Director of the Central Research Institute at Aekyung Chemical, commented, "Having focused on developing sodium-ion battery materials—particularly hard carbon anodes—this collaboration is especially significant. By combining the core material technologies from all three companies, we aim to boost SIB competitiveness and vitalize the domestic SIB industry ecosystem."

Hyunsoo Jung, Head of Future Technology at Ecopro BM, said, "Through the K-Sodium Alliance, we will accelerate technology cooperation at the private sector level, and with the backing of national research and development support, we believe we can significantly enhance the global competitiveness of Korea's SIB industry."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.