■ SK On received a Minister’s citation in Energy Efficiency Improvement group category at Korea Energy Grand Prize 2021 hosted by Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy.

■ Recognized for its efforts to improve the entire process to achieve Net Zero in battery business in 2035

SK On’s domestic battery plant in Seosan was awarded with a Minister’s citation for Energy Efficiency Improvement group category at the Korea Energy Grand Prize 2021 hosted by the Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The event took place at Grand Intercontinental, Seoul, on November 17, 2021.

SK On’s representative at the award shared that “it was in recognition of our endeavor to reduce energy use in all processes.”

SK On is improving the energy efficiency of existing facilities and investing in facility improvement to include renewable energy as part of its vision to reduce carbon emissions from the battery manufacturing process to zero by 2035. In the short term, the company set a goal of reducing energy use by 30% in all of its business locations, both home and abroad, by 2024.

To be more specific, the company’s multifaceted effort to curb energy consumption is evident in new technology implementations such as ▲ a smart system to monitor and control factory facilities’ real-time operations, ▲ a humidity control system to adjust the humidity level by reflecting real-time climate conditions such as external temperature and humidity, and ▲ the use of an Energy Storage System (ESS) to charge and discharge energy devices, to name a few.

The smart monitoring system monitors the status of facilities and automatically adjusts operations to minimize energy loss from facilities such as electricity and cool water, which are available 24 hours a day to run a plant. SK On is attempting to maximize efficiency by enabling the integrated management of all of its global production bases in the U.S., Hungary, and China, using the smart monitoring system established in the Seosan plant.

The power usage of the air conditioning system at Seosan plant was also said to be lowered by 52%. To save energy, the company connects real-time external weather conditions to the system, allowing it to run only when it is needed. In the past, the air conditioner was always on full blast throughout the year. In particular, in the winter season, when humidity levels are relatively low, heaters supplied to a dry cell where it is required to maintain a humidity level under 1% for battery operation were less used. As a result, the company’s winter energy use was reduced by nearly 60%.

“We will continue to innovate our processes to reduce energy consumption and solidify our position as an environmentally friendly battery maker,” stated Kim Jin-young, SK On’s Head of Battery Production & Technology Division. “On this basis, we will surely achieve Net Zero by 2035,” he added.

[Photo] SK On’s battery plant in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, South Korea