Samsung SDI CEO says company considering entering US market
SK Innovation looking at 4 to 5 locations for new factory
Samsung SDI may build a battery factory in the US.
Company CEO Jun Young-hyun, responding to questions from the media on whether Samsung SDI intended to enter the US market at battery industry event InterBattery 2021 in Seoul, said the company “was reviewing the matter.”
Samsung SDI has been looking into the matter as the Biden Administration has been pushing policies to foster manufacturing in US soil, sources within the company told TheElec.
Jun also told reporters that the battery industry was growing fast and hoped the South Korean government would offer support for South Korean companies to match that growth.
Meanwhile, SK Innovation president Ji Dong-seop, who was also at the event, told reporters that Blue Oval SK, its joint venture with Ford in the US, was looking at four to five locations to build a new battery cell production plant.
However, when the new plant will start construction is yet to be decided, the president said.
SK Innovation have previously said Blue Oval SK plans to spend 6 trillion won to build facilities for an annual production capacity of 60GWh of batteries. The cells will be supplied to Ford’s electric cars.