Hana to supply battery kits for SK On’s Seosan upgrade

Hana Technology is expected to win orders for battery production equipment from SK On for the expansion of its battery facility at Seosan, South Korea, TheElec has learned.

Hana Technology formed close ties with SK On when it became the vendor for tab welding and packaging equipment in 2021 to be used at the South Korean battery maker’s first factory in Yangchen, China.

However, SK On has given the order to Hana’s rivals Mplus and Toptec for the same equipment at its second factory in Yancheng and factories in Invansca, Hungary and Georgia, the US as well as for factories run by BlueOval SK, SK On’s joint venture with Ford.

Hana Technology and SK On were in the final stages of their talks to decide unit prices for the latter’s expansion of Seosan, sources said.

SK On is planning to expand the annual capacity of Seosan from the current 5GWh to 20GWh.

The company has not upgraded the facility since 2018 and is doing so now as demand from customers such as Hyundai Motor jumps.

The cells produced at Seosan will be 350mm in length with a height of 70mm to fit in Hyundai Motor’s E-GMP platform.

It remains to be seen whether Hana Technology will win future orders from SK On from this latest deal.

BlueOval SK is expected to place new orders for its second factory in Kentucky, a factory that is planned for 43GWh in production capacity.