Samsung SDI finishes all-solid-state battery pilot line, samples due in H2: CEO

Seoul, June 30 (IANS) Samsung SDI has completed the pilot line for all-solid-state batteries and will begin producing samples in the second half of the year, its CEO has said.

Choi Yoon-ho, president and CEO of the South Korean battery maker, made the remarks during an in-house event, referring to the solid state battery pilot line in its Suwon research and development centre, 30 kms south of Seoul.

"We have completed the pilot line for all-solid-state batteries and are ready for sample production in the second half of the year, Choi said during the event celebrating the 53rd anniversary of the company's establishment.

Solid-state batteries are considered a game changer that would significantly reduce fire risks because they use a solid electrolyte, instead of the liquid and gel electrolytes used in lithium-ion batteries, reports Yonhap news agency.

They also have a higher energy density, which allows for a longer driving range.

Samsung SDI has been stepping up to gain an edge in the solid-state battery technology and launched the pilot line construction in March last year.

Samsung SDI aims to begin commercial production of its solid-state batteries in 2027.

Choi also said the mother line for 46-millimeter-wide cylindrical batteries, located in its Cheonan plant, 85 km south of Seoul, is complete and getting ready to develop and produce new products on a large scale.

Samsung SDI is working to mass produce the 46-mm-wide cylindrical cells, in a diversification of its lineup from primarily making prismatic cells. The 46-mm-wide cells are regarded as a next-generation product expected to perform far better than the existing 18-mm-wide or 21-mm-wide cells.