SK Nexilis, a chemical unit of South Korean SK Group, will build a factory in Poland to manufacture copper foil used in electric vehicle’s batteries. The company will expand its manufacturing capacity to over 200,000mt a year by 2025, up from its current capacity of 43,000mt, according to media reports.
Thin copper foils are used as the anode current collector of the lithium-ion battery cell used in EVs.
SK Nexilis plans to complete the construction of this unit by 2024. Poland is a strong candidate, considering its geographical proximity to major battery factories, the firm said. The copper company is also planning a new production facility in Malaysia by end of this year and might invest in the US to cater to growing demand for EV batteries.