SK to present expanded battery portfolio at InterBattery 2025
At the trade fair in Seoul (5-7 March), SK On intends to present “products and technologies that can drive current and future industry trends,” as the press release states. This year, SK On will present all three battery form factors – pouch, prismatic and cylindrical – “to emphasize its technological prowess and ability to meet diverse customer demands.”
What initially sounds like an ordinary PR phrase is, in fact, an important innovation for SK On: as part of the SK Group (formerly known as SK Innovation), the company has grown up exclusively with pouch cells – and more specifically with high-nickel cell chemistries. It was not until 2023 that the company presented its first prismatic cell at InterBattery and began production later that year. With the cylindrical cell, which is celebrating its premiere this week, SK On is truly offering all three common form factors for the first time. However, SK On has not yet published any details about the cylindrical cell – such as the exact dimensions or cell chemistry. Work is also still ongoing: “Having completed its pilot facility in the second half of last year, the battery manufacturer has been accelerating its research and development efforts on cylindrical batteries,” the press release states.
SK On is expanding its range of prismatic cells with a ‘top-tab cell’, following the introduction of the prismatic ‘side-tab cell’ last year. At InterBattery, the South Koreans also want to present their Z-folding stacking and fast-charging solutions, which are used for prismatic cells.
SK On is also following demand in terms of cell chemistry: SK On is still working on the sought-after LFP cells. At InterBattery 2025, the company will be taking a middle course, so to speak: a high-voltage medium-nickel battery should offer competitive prices, improved performance, a long service life and improved safety, according to the company.
Specifically, SK On specifies a nickel content of 50 to 70 per cent in the NMC cathode material – the figure for today’s standard NMC811 cells is over 80 per cent. The new ‘mid-nickel cell’ is characterised by ‘a balanced combination of high energy density, similar to batteries with a high nickel content, and the price competitiveness and thermal stability of LFP batteries’. This makes it well suited to current market trends that emphasise cost efficiency.
At the trade fair, SK On will also be presenting its next-generation wireless battery management system (BMS), which requires no wiring or cables. The system features wireless chips that are attached to the tabs of the battery cells, collect data and transmit it wirelessly to the BMS via the module’s antenna. The immersion cooling technology, a result of the collaboration between SK On and SK Enmove, can also be explored in this exhibition.
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