Silicon anode material is the next-generation material that can shorten the charging time of electric vehicles to just 5 minutes.
It is attracting attention as a ‘game changer’ that can change the market, and companies are aggressively entering the market, and it
is expected that it will be commercialized as early as the second half of next year.
This is reporter Kim Chae-yeon’s report.
<Reporter>
Charging time is considered one of the obstacles to popularizing electric vehicles.
The material that determines the charging speed of a battery is the anode material, and the graphite anode material currently used takes from a minimum of 20 minutes to a maximum of 10 hours depending on the type of charger.
By adding 5 to 10% of silicon to this anode material, charging time can be reduced to just 5 minutes and driving distance can be dramatically increased.
This is because silicon has more than 10 times higher energy density than graphite.
This is why silicon anode materials are attracting attention as a game changer that can change the landscape of the electric vehicle market in the future.
According to market research firm SNE Research, the silicon anode material market is expected to more than triple in size from $7.5 billion (10 trillion won) this year to $21.9 billion (30 trillion won) in 2030.
This market is currently divided between China’s BTR and Japan’s Shinyetsu, and Daejoo Electronic Materials is the only domestic company that has reached the commercialization stage.
Daejoo Electronic Materials developed the world’s first silicon anode material and supplied the product to Porsche’s electric vehicle (Tycan) in 2019.
Daejoo Electronic Materials has decided to expand its current production line of 2,000 tons per year to 10,000 tons by the end of next year.
As the market is expected to grow메이저사이트, large companies are also trying to dominate the market.
The most active place is SK. Last year, SK Materials joined hands with America’s Group 14 Technology to establish a joint venture called ‘SK Materials Group Fourteen’, and SKC established a subsidiary ‘Ultimus’ last month.
POSCO changed the name of Terratechnos, which it acquired last year, to ‘POSCO Silicon Solution’ and is building a factory with an annual capacity of 5,000 tons in Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do.
Another reason why large companies are active in this market is to reduce their dependence on China following the implementation of the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
China has a market share of more than 50% based on its abundant graphite reserves and production.
The market’s interest is in the timing of commercialization.
Silicon anode materials are known to have a difficult manufacturing process due to the high risk of explosion during the charging process.
As many companies are starting to produce prototypes from the end of this year, it is expected that it will be commercialized as early as the second half of next year.
This is Kim Chae-yeon of Korea Economic TV.