During a meeting with reporters from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on June 11 at EcoPro's Pohang campus, Song remarked, "The secondary battery industry is not led by a few geniuses but by many excellent material and process developers working together to optimize processes." He noted that China is rapidly producing results by heavily investing in battery-related personnel.
He added, "I believe AI is the best solution to respond to this challenge. It can replace the work of dozens of people and minimize trial and error." He stressed the importance of both corporate and government efforts to enhance the national competitiveness of South Korea's secondary battery sector.
This shift comes as the cathode materials market has evolved. Cathode materials are crucial components that determine the capacity and voltage of batteries by releasing or absorbing lithium ions during charging and discharging. EcoPro's market share in the nickel-cobalt-manganese cathode materials sector dropped from first place in 2023 to sixth in 2024.
China is leveraging its cost competitiveness and a supply chain that extends from mining to cathode materials. South Korea currently faces disadvantages in terms of initial investment costs and operational expenses. EcoPro believes that enhancing productivity through AI-based autonomous operations is essential to address these challenges.
EcoPro's subsidiary, EcoPro BM, is developing an AI-driven autonomous manufacturing system aimed at improving the quality prediction and productivity of battery electrode materials. The goal is to establish an innovative autonomous manufacturing line that reduces processing costs by 30% and achieves 50% automation in administrative tasks.
To achieve this, the company plans to implement automated planning, production progress management, anomaly detection, and autonomous actions based on an AI Integrated Control Center (ACC). In terms of quality, AI will autonomously manage raw materials and key recipes. In the equipment sector, the use of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) will facilitate routine inspections and predictive maintenance of key equipment, while safety and environmental measures will include the use of CCTV and sensors to preemptively address risks.
Data is at the core of this initiative. Manufacturing cathode materials involves high-temperature kilns and dust environments, making real-time quality management challenging. EcoPro BM has begun building a data platform to consolidate previously scattered manufacturing data.
The ultimate goal is to establish the first dark factory for cathode materials. EcoPro BM aims to create a closed AI system that does not rely on external generative AI, integrating ACC, AMRs, automated guided vehicles (AGVs), and humanoids to automate input and packaging processes and achieve manufacturing automation by 2030.
Song stated, "We plan to increase EcoPro BM's global market share in the nickel-cobalt-manganese sector from about 5% to 20%. By optimizing autonomous operations based on AI, we aim to secure over 300% productivity compared to China and capture market share."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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