LG Chem’s Batteries

LG Chem makes light, compact, high-powered, high-capacity lithium ion batteries.
LG Chem makes light, compact, high-powered, high-capacity lithium ion batteries.

 

LG Chem’s battery business, which had been slow, now faces a new beginning. There have been concerns, since the electronic and hybrid vehicle markets did not grow as much as anticipated. 

However, the battery business is booming as it began supplying lithium-ion battery modules to the uninterrupted power supplies (UPSs) in Japanese mobile communication base stations.

UPS lithium-ion battery modules are one of the prospective energy storage systems (ESSs) that can supply power until additional power generation starts operating in times of sudden blackouts. 

An industry associate said, “LG Chem is recovering its slow business in the automobile battery sector through a different sector.”

On August 21, LG Chem began mass producing and supplying lithium-ion battery modules for UPSs in communication base stations to the biggest telecommunication company in Japan, Softbank Mobile. 

LG Chem is the first company from Korea to actually pass the testing phase and start supplying the Japanese telecommunication market. 

Softbank Mobile (Softbank for short) is the second-largest telecommunications company in Japan with over 13K base stations. It is currently building a new base station around 900Mhz. 

The total wattage to be supplied by the lithium-ion battery is about 20MWh, which is equal to about 1,200 GM Bolts. So far, Japanese telecommunication companies have been using lead batteries for UPSs in base stations.

However, with the recent increase in cost competition and the focus on benefits such as the energy efficiency and lifespan of lithium-ion batteries, most are making the shift from traditional lead batteries. 

In fact, major Japanese telecommunication companies such as NTT DoCoMo, KDDI, and others are known to be planning on using lithium-ion batteries for UPSs in new base stations. LG Chem is expecting more supply contracts in the Japanese market to be coming its way. 

If LG Chem’s lithium-ion batteries are used instead of lead batteries for UPSs in the new base stations, the weight decreases by 65% and volume by 50%. Battery life expectancy becomes about 1.5 to 2 times greater while allowing real-time monitoring through a battery management system (BMS). According to Japan’s Yano Economic Research Institute, the current Japanese UPS market is about 900 billion won (US$801 million), and the global UPS market is about 8 trillion won (US$7.12 billion). 

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