SK Nexilis, the South Korean world market leader for copper foil production, announced the start of commercial production of ultrathin copper foil in its new factory in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.
The new 162,700 square-metre plant houses the world’s largest production lines of copper foil. Nexilis claims its foil is the thinnest, longest and widest ever produced: 1.4 metres wide and 77 kilometres long. The thinnest foil is 4 µm.
The Malaysian factory was initially supposed to have an annual capacity of 50,000 tons, but SK Nexilis decided to increase it to 57,000 tons. The company has spent ₩900 billion ($690 million) to build the two plants in Malaysia.
Shin Dong Hwan, head of SK Nexilis Malaysia, said the Malaysian plant is more cost-competitive than any other plant in the world thanks to favourable electricity rates. The first shipment will go to the US, Hwan said.
Global demand for copper foil for secondary batteries is predicted to grow rapidly from 490,000 tons this year to 1.43 million tons in 2028 and 2.07 million tons in 2030. SK Nexilis’ major competitors are in China.
The group is scheduled to complete its second overseas production lines in Stalowa Wola Count, Poland, next year. It will have an annual capacity of 57,000 tons, slightly higher than the domestic South Korean capacity of 52,000 tons.
The world’s widest thin copper foil (1.4 m). Photo: SK Nexilis
