Ecopro BM teams up with Soulbrain, Aekyung Chemical to develop sodium-ion battery materials

Ecopro BM is joining forces with Soulbrain and Aekyung Chemical to build a sodium-ion battery (SIB) materials ecosystem as the company moves to compete in the next-generation battery race. It marks the first time domestic battery materials companies have jointly pursued technology development in the SIB space.

Ecopro BM announced Sunday that the three companies signed an MOU at Ecopro BM's headquarters in Ochang, North Chungcheong Province, on Wednesday, launching the K-Sodium Ion Alliance. Under the agreement, the three partners will develop the optimal combination of SIB core materials — cathode materials (Ecopro BM), electrolytes (Soulbrain) and hard carbon anode materials (Aekyung Chemical) — and conduct joint promotional activities targeting customers.

Sodium-ion batteries are a next-generation technology that uses sodium, an element abundant in the earth's crust, in place of costly lithium. The technology offers strong price competitiveness thanks to plentiful raw materials, and its superior safety, long cycle life and low-temperature performance make it a leading alternative for the ESS and entry-level electric vehicle markets. It has drawn particular attention as a strategic substitute as supply chain risks grow — including China's restrictions on exports of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) technology.

Ecopro BM said it spent the past four years focused on SIB cathode material development, securing technology and performance advantages over Chinese rivals, and has established a pilot production line with an annual capacity of 1,000 tons.

For SIB to reach global cell manufacturers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), performance optimization across all materials — not just cathode materials but also electrolytes and hard carbon anode materials — is essential.

Ecopro BM plans to accelerate SIB technology maturity through broad-based cooperation with key domestic materials companies, aiming to expand its influence in the global market.

Under the MOU, the three companies will pursue joint research and development of SIB cathode materials, electrolytes and hard carbon materials. Ecopro BM will focus on developing SIB cathode materials and securing mass production technology; Soulbrain will handle electrolyte and additive technology; and Aekyung Chemical will be responsible for hard carbon development and mass production technology.

In addition, the three companies plan to share development samples and evaluation results to optimize material performance, and will conduct joint promotional activities targeting the global market on that basis.

Ecopro BM will lead the overall project, drawing on its existing SIB cathode pre-mass production line and technical capabilities. Central to the collaboration is a "package solution" strategy — moving away from the conventional approach of supplying individual materials separately, the three companies will offer an integrated total materials solution, optimized across all three technologies, to cell manufacturers and global OEMs. The goal is to shorten customers' development timelines and maximize the efficiency of performance verification.

"We will actively cooperate to make the K-Sodium Ion Alliance a catalyst for building a domestic SIB ecosystem and securing global competitiveness," said Choi Gyeong-se, director of Soulbrain's central research institute.

"We hope to combine the core materials technologies of all three companies to strengthen SIB competitiveness and contribute to revitalizing the domestic SIB industry ecosystem," said Kim Jun-hyeong, director of Aekyung Chemical's central research institute.

Jeong Hyeon-su, head of future technology at Ecopro BM, said SIB has drawn attention as a next-generation battery technology capable of replacing LFP, thanks to its cost competitiveness and strong low-temperature performance, but that commercialization has been slow because a sufficient domestic materials ecosystem had not yet been built. "If this collaboration allows us to kick off private-sector technology cooperation in earnest, and if government-level research and development support follows, we will be able to significantly strengthen the global competitiveness of South Korea's SIB industry," he said.

Byeon In-sun, director of North Chungcheong Province's AI and science talent bureau, said the agreement is an important stepping stone for the province to establish itself as a hub for industry-academia-research cooperation in growth-engine industries under the government's national spatial transformation project. "North Chungcheong Province will spare no institutional and administrative support to help root an integrated talent development system between companies and universities in the secondary battery sector, a key regional strategic industry," Byeon said.

Meanwhile, Ecopro BM recently told shareholders at a meeting held at NH Investment Securities' headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, that it aims to achieve sales of 11 trillion won ($7.49 billion) and operating profit of 1 trillion won by 2030, funded by proceeds from a rights offering.

The company plans to secure cost competitiveness by acquiring a stake in a nickel smelter in Indonesia, while aggressively targeting the European electric vehicle market through investment in a factory in Hungary.