SES on Thursday unveiled the world’s largest lithium-metal battery that is big enough to power an electric vehicle. According to the Singapore-based startup, the battery cell, dubbed “Apollo,” weighs just 0.98 kilogram and can deliver 107 amperes of electricity per hour. Also, it supports quick charging, taking just 12 minutes to go from 10 percent to 90 percent. SES claims that Apollo is the world’s first lithium-metal cell to have breached a 100 Ah threshold, but wh

In the battery world, phrases like “next-generation” and ”game-changer” have become cliche. Everyone claims to be developing a dream battery, yet no one has proven themselves with a real product. But leaders may be starting to emerge in the race to replace today’s most prolific, yet fire-prone lithium-ion cells, with cheaper, safer and longer-range batteries that use lithium metal. SES, a Singapore-based battery startup backed by General Motors, on Thursday unvei

Representatives of Hyundai Motor Group and Seoul National University pose for photographs after the two organizations signed an agreement to establish a joint battery research and development center at SNU’s campus in Gwanak-gu, southern Seoul, Wednesday.  Hyundai Motor will invest more than 30 billion won ($25.4 million) over 10 years into the research center to develop next-generation batteries with significant improvements in driving range and charging time. From left are SNU Pres

South Korea faces a potential retail crisis ahead of winter after China imposed a de facto export ban on diesel exhaust fluid -- an emissions control liquid solution essential for most cargo trucks here. According to industry sources Wednesday, Korea is running dangerously low on DEF supplies, after Chinese authorities last month began mandatory customs inspections and practically banned exports of the product. DEF is a liquid solution that goes inside diesel vehicles. The product has to be

In a world first, SK Chemicals has begun mass-producing chemically recycled copolyester, a synthetic plastic widely used in packaging, the firm said Tuesday. According to the South Korean chemical company, it will produce more than 10,000 metric tons of chemically recycled plastic and supply it to cosmetics brands at home and abroad. “Not a single company in the world has ever mass-produced plastic via chemical recycling because it requires a secure supply chain of plastic waste as wel

SK Innovation said Tuesday it will capture 300,000 metric tons of carbon emitted at its petrochemical plant in Ulsan and sell it as industrial gas starting next year. According to the South Korean battery-to-petrochemical giant, it is already capturing carbon generated at factory No. 1 inside its Ulsan facility and making a profit by selling it. After the carbon is collected, it is purified and then used as industrial gas for the etching process of semiconductors, welding, dry ice and plant cul

Hanwha Solutions said Tuesday it will go carbon neutral by 2050 by utilizing its renewable and hydrogen technologies. According to the South Korean solar-to-hydrogen energy company, it will curb carbon emissions totaling 3.58 million tons by 2050. The firm emitted 2.46 million tons last year and is expected to generate an additional 1.12 million tons in the future. “All of Hanwha Solutions’ businesses will join a Korean version of Renewable Energy 100 and use electricity genera

South Korean cosmetics-to-health care conglomerate Aekyung Group said Monday that it has officially launched Aekyung Chemical and appointed Pyo Kyoung-won as the inaugural CEO. Aekyung Chemical was formed by combining the group’s three chemical businesses -- Aekyung Petrochemical, AK ChemTech and the old Aekyung Chemical. In a meeting at Aekyung Tower, the group’s headquarters in Mapo-gu, western Seoul, on Monday morning, the new Aekyung Chemical’s board of directors finali

Even the best of intentions can fall flat without full attention to vital details. The Korea Herald looks into the flaws and shortcomings of Korea’s green policies. – Ed. South Korea is undoubtedly among the frontrunners in the global hydrogen race, with a sweeping and ambitious national strategy to utilize the cleanest fuel to power Asia’s fourth-largest economy. In its push for the hydrogen economy, the Moon Jae-in administration takes pride in having enacted the world&rsq

Kwon Young-soo, the newly appointed CEO of LG Energy Solution, called for an unrelenting focus on battery technology, urging executives and staff to shake off recall fears in his inaugural speech delivered on Monday. “You must have had a lot of worries due to the recent quality issues, but there is no need to be discouraged. As the saying goes, it’s darkest before the dawn, and this is an inevitable process in the long term,” Kwon said in his first message as chief of LG En

Petrochemical companies generate waste called hydrogen sulfide at their facilities and even pay money to dispose of the highly toxic gas. But what if this unwanted byproduct could be converted into a raw material for green energy? Doug Campbell, co-founder and CEO of Solid Power, one of the world’s most promising advanced battery developers, suggests that solid-state batteries will give new purpose to materials that had been neglected before.   “A company like SK (Innovati

SK Innovation enjoyed an operating profit of 618.5 billion won ($529.2 million) in the third quarter, bouncing back from an operating loss of 53.7 billion won on-year, a regulatory filing showed Friday. The South Korean battery-to-petrochemical giant logged revenue of 12.3 trillion won in the July-September period, a 48.1 percent surge from 8.3 trillion won, buoyed by record quarterly sales in both lubricant and battery businesses. According to SK Innovation, two new battery factories in C

Hyundai Oilbank is capturing carbon emissions and transforming them into raw materials used for cement and concrete at construction sites, as part of its carbon neutrality commitments. According to Hyundai Oilbank Friday, it will collect byproducts generated from its petrochemical facilities such as desulfurized gypsum and carbon dioxide and turn those waste products into construction materials such as plaster and calcium carbonate. Next year, Hyundai Oilbank will break ground on a productio

South Korean IT security solutions provider RaonSecure said Thursday it has won a cyberattack defense competition hosted by the nation’s spy agency, the National Intelligence Service. According to the firm, two teams led by ethical hackers from RaonWhiteHat, a subsidiary that provides consulting services on IT security, ranked No. 1 and No. 2 at 2021 Cyber Conflict Exercise & Contest. CCE is an annual cyberattack defense competition hosted by the NIS. Of 282 participants, 30 of tho

SK Innovation and Solid Power will co-develop and produce solid-state batteries that are 33 percent more powerful than conventional lithium-ion batteries, the two companies said Thursday. The South Korean battery-to-petrochemical giant and the US-based battery startup will manufacture solid-state batteries with energy density of at least 930 watt-hours per liter, which would increase the driving range of electric vehicles to 930 kilometers on a single charge. Solid Power is one of the world&

Doosan Group said Thursday it has promoted Doosan Corp. President Moon Hong-sung to chief business officer. The newly appointed CBO will be tasked with leading all businesses of Doosan Corp. from hydrogen fuel cells and drones to industrial robots. Before the promotion, Moon served as the chief strategy officer and led new businesses for Doosan Robotics, Doosan Mobility Innovation and Doosan Logistics Solutions at the holding entity Doosan Corp. since earlier this year. Now, key segments such

Never trust a skinny chef. The sentiment behind this tongue-in-cheek reference to a chef’s inability to resist his own delicious food applies to most professions, including game developers. Nexon’s Blue Archive, an anime-style role-playing game, immediately stole the hearts of anime fans after its February release in Japan, even ranking as the most popular game on both Google Play and App Store. Perhaps the game’s success was a predestined one, considering it was developed b

One by one, electric scooter operators are leaving South Korea, once hailed as a perfect testbed for last-mile mobility innovation. According to industry sources Wednesday, German e-scooter operator Wind, which entered the Korean market in 2019, recently called it quits. Another e-scooter firm Gcooter halted services starting this month in three districts of Seoul -- Yeongdeungpo-gu, Dongjak-gu and Gwanak-gu -- where e-scooters are most frequently towed. As to why they are packing their bag

National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug said Tuesday that the global digital and green transformation triggered by the pandemic is a necessary growing pain for South Korea to join the post-COVID world order. In his congratulatory speech delivered at the fourth Korea Herald Biz Forum held at the Shilla Seoul under the theme “Shape of the Future: Trends to rule industries as world rebounds from the pandemic,” the speaker called for business executives, policymakers and opinion l