POSCO FUTURE M

 - The output has increased by 20,000 with the completion of phase 1 construction of its second anode plant; a production system of 44,000 tons a year has been established
 - Will expand production capacity in stages up to 76,000 tons a year to become a market leader
 - Diversified portfolio of artificial graphite and natural anodes with the performance of natural graphite will help with a strategic response to market change 

POSCO Chemical (CEO Min Kyung-zoon) held a completion ceremony for the phase 1 construction of the second anode plant on November 15, 2019. The event was attended by executives from key customers, LG Chem and Samsung SDI, and major figures in the materials business in the POSCO Group, including POSCO Chemical CEO Min Kyung-zoon, Vice President of the New Growth Division Oh Kyu-seok, POSCO Construction CEO Lee Young-hoon, and President of RIST Yoo Seong.

With the completion of phase 1 construction of the second anode plant in Sejong city, POSCO Chemical has secured an annual anode production capacity of 44,000 tons, in conjunction with the first plant which is already in operation.

The second anode plant, based in Sejong High-tech Industrial Complex, is built on an area of 106,086㎡ equivalent to the size of 13 soccer fields. The gradual expansion of the facility, following the phase one establishment of the 20,000-ton facility, will create a production system for natural graphite anodes with an annual output of 52,000 tons by 2022.

Facilities in the second factory have significantly improved production efficiency, increasing the annual production rate by over 25% per line compared to plant #1. Outside the building, there are solar panels that will cut down energy use by up to 120,000 Kwh a year. The factory is the very first in the industry to deploy smart factory technology, introducing the unmanned delivery of raw materials and semi-finished materials, and an automated logistics warehouse.

In the ceremony, POSCO Chemical CEO Min Kyung-zoon said, “The completion of phase 1 construction of the second anode plant will create a strong footing for POSCO Chemical to respond preemptively to demand for batteries, which is expected to escalate in the next several years. We will continue to provide first-class products to our customers and help them succeed by improving production efficiency and quality assurance.”

While working on the commercialization of artificial graphite anodes, POSCO Chemical plans to secure a cathode production capacity of up to 84,000 tons considering market situations, and to research next-generation materials through the secondary cell R&D center, to become a global leading chemicals and energy materials company.

 
[Photo] Attendees at the phase 1 construction completion ceremony for the second POSCO Chemical anode plant, cutting a tape to celebrate the event. (From the fourth person on the left to the right, POSCO Construction CEO Lee Young-hoon, President of POSCO’s New Growth Division Oh Kyu-seok, POSCO Chemical CEO Min Kyung-zoon, President of RIST Yoo Seong, Outside Director of POSCO Chemical Yoo Kye-hyun, President of Energy Materials at POSCO Chemical Kim Joon-hyung, and President of Planning and Support at POSCO Chemical Kang Deuk-sang)