Varta signs supply deal with SK Nexilis

The German battery manufacturer Varta plans to continue with the series production of battery cells for electric cars, using anode copper foil supplied by the South Korean company SK Nexilis.

According to South Korean media reports, Varta will use SK Nexilis’ copper foil in a production plant for electric car battery cells with an annual capacity of 3 GWh, which is scheduled to start commercial operation in 2026. This is a clear indication that Varta still plans to produce battery cells for electric cars on a larger scale after the company put the construction of a factory on hold last year due to cost. Varta presented the cylindrical cell V4Drive as a booster battery in the 21700 format in April 2021 and announced larger cylindrical cells for BEVs six months later.

Pilot production of the V4Drive cells started at the end of 2021. Mass production was to start in 2023 with a production capacity of at least 2 GWh until Varta put the plan on hold.

SK Nexilis, a subsidiary of the South Korean conglomerate SK Group, is building a copper foil factory in Poland and signed a supply contract with Northvolt in February 2023. The factory in Poland is expected to begin production from 2024.

Together with Toyota, SK Nexilis wants to set up a joint venture in North America for the production of copper foils. SK Nexilis is said to be able to produce the world’s thinnest copper foils. According to SNE Research, SK Nexilis is the world’s largest copper foil producer with a capacity of around 52,000 tonnes per year. The company aims to increase its annual capacity to 250,000 tonnes by 2025. SK Nexilis’ main customers include LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI, SK On, Panasonic and CATL.

“It is very encouraging for SK Nexilis to expand supplies of its differentiated high-quality and high-strength copper foil to global customers,” said an SK Nexilis.

kedglobal.com, koreajoongangdaily.joins.com, koreaherald.com