SK Innovation’s battery production capacity has increased six times in 2020 compared to 2019.
This is thanks to its factories overseas in China and Hungary beginning operation.
SK Innovation said on Thursday its Blue Sky United Energy factory in Yancheng, China has began operation this month.
It is its second factory in China after the one in Changzhou.
Combined with its factory in Komarom, Hungary and Seosan, South Korea, SK Innovation now has an annual batter production capacity of 29.7GWh a year.
This is six times higher than its capacity of 4.7GWh last year.
The new factory in Yancheng has a capacity of 10GWh. A second factory will be added their that will add another 10GWh.
The Komarom factory was completed in May. SK Innovation is planning a second factory there as well to increase its production capacity.
Including SK Innovation’s two factories in Georgia, the US, the company is now aiming to have a total capacity of 85GWh by 2023.
SK Innovation’s joint venture with BAIC Motor, BEST, is already supplying batteries for electric vehicles in China.
The company is also forming a joint venture with EVE Asia, a subsidiary of EVE Energy, a plan that was announced in September, 2019. The factory is expected to have a capacity between 20GWh to 25GWh.
When all these projects are complete, SK Innovation will have a battery production capacity of 50GWh in China alone __ this is higher than its 21.5GWh capacity in the US and 16.5GWh in Hungary.
The Yancheng factory is expected to supply batteries for various electric vehicle makers.