Smart energy technology firm SolarEdge Technologies, and its lithium-ion battery subsidiary Kokam, have opened a 2GWh battery cell manufacturing facility in South Korea.
The ‘Sella 2’ plant in the Eumseong Innovation City of Chungcheongbuk-Do is producing test cells for certification, with ramp-up expected during the second half of this year.
Once ramped, Sella 2 will enable SolarEdge to have its own supply of lithium-ion batteries and the infrastructure to develop new battery cell chemistries and technologies.
The facility is planned to manufacture battery cells for SolarEdge’s residential solar-attached batteries as well as battery cells for a variety of industries, including mobile applications, energy stationary storage solutions (ESS) and UPS applications.
Zvi Lando, chief executive officer of SolarEdge, said: “The opening of Sella 2 is an important milestone for SolarEdge. It allows us to own key processes in the development and manufacturing of advanced energy storage solutions for our solar core business and additional applications, while further securing the resilience of our supply chain.
“We are committed to growing our business in the energy storage market, as well as our investment in battery cell technology and cell manufacturing, further strengthening our storage product portfolio.”