SK Chairman Choi Tae-won places management priority in nurturing green technologies and businesses by visiting green business sites
Chairman of SK Group, Choi Tae-won, paid a site visit to promote SK's future technology development for green business.
SK Innovation said that Chairman Choi visited SK Innovation Global Technology in Deajeon City February 8-9 with SK Innovation chief executive officer Gu Ja-young and SK Energy chief executive officer Park Bong-gyun.
The visit was made after Choi toured resource development sites in Brazil, Australia, Indonesia, and China. During the visit to SK Innovation, which is responsible for finding SK's future growth engines, he checked on the status of SK's future green technology development.
Upon arrival, he looked around the mass-production line 1 to make batteries for electric vehicles and encouraged managers and staff. With the company accelerating the growth of the business after it broke ground to build another battery production line in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province last month, it was not surprising Choi’s first destination was battery production line to confirm research results.
Choi entered the production line wearing dustproof clothing and was briefed on SK Innovation's battery production technology while checking the battery products. Choi left a comment on a board made of name cards of researchers saying that battery business will run until the day every car run on SK batteries, showing his strong determination for the battery business.
Choi also visited the new research center for electric car batteries currently under construction. SK Innovation plans to move the existing battery research center, which is located in the research complex with other research facilities, to the new center. The company will develop the center to be a core driving force for battery technology that integrates related technologies from materials like electrodes and separators to battery-related one like BMS, cells and packaging technology.
Choi also visited the green coal pilot plant and asked how much green coal technology can reduce CO2 emission and where its technical level currently stands.
The green coal technology is used to extract high value oil products from coal. The process is divided into two steps; the first one making synthesis gas from low quality coals and the second one turning the gas into oil, natural gas and chemical products.
The pilot plant is a research facility designed to inspect the first step of the process of green coal technology through which SK Innovation expects to get one step closer to its new green energy technology development.
After the visit, Choi were briefed on SK Innovation's future technology development strategy and direction, as well as a deep discussion on the development status and future strategy on electric car batteries, green poles (carbon dioxide plastics), green coal and biofuels. Choi asked for enthusiastic research development motivated by the profound mission that SK's future depends on green technology development.
An official from SK Innovation said, "The top executives' visit reflects their interest in green business next-generation energy development and throws weight behind R&D. With their interest and support, we expect tangible results."