LG Energy begins mass production of batteries at US plant

Seoul, June 1 (IANS) LG Energy Solution Ltd (LGES), South Korea's leading battery maker, said on Sunday it has begun mass production of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries for energy storage systems (ESS) at its manufacturing plant in the United States.

The pouch-type LFP batteries for ESS, based on long cell technology, are being manufactured at the LGES plant in Michigan, according to the Korean company, reports Yonhap news agency.

"We are currently in discussions with multiple customers in the North American region for the supply of our ESS batteries," LGES officials said, noting that supply to a number of major U.S. energy firms, such as Terra-Gen and Delta Electronics, has already been confirmed.

LGES said it plans to swiftly respond to growing demand for ESS in advanced industries, such as artificial intelligence (AI) data centres and renewable energies.

LGES is the only major global battery maker that started mass production of LFP batteries tailored for use in ESS in the U.S.

Meanwhile, LG Energy Solution has won a lawsuit against China's Sunwoda Group in Germany over the infringement of two patents related to battery separator technology, a company representing LGES in Germany said.

The Munich District Court upheld injunction requests filed by Hungary-based patent management firm Tulip Innovation Kft., barring Sunwoda Group affiliates from selling lithium-ion batteries in Germany, Tulip said in a press release.

The affected companies include Sunwoda Electronic, Sunwoda Mobility Energy Technology, and their German subsidiaries, Sunwoda Europe and Sunwoda Electric Vehicle Battery Germany.

"These appear to be the first injunctions in Germany related to car batteries. There is no 'free riding' for battery manufacturers on technologies developed by innovation leaders like LGES and Panasonic Energy," the release said.

The court also ordered Sunwoda's affiliates to recall and destroy any remaining infringing batteries in their direct or indirect possession, pay damages to Tulip in principle, and provide detailed accounting records to facilitate damage assessment.

Sunwoda Group is expected to appeal the rulings, but Tulip said it is "confident that the decision will stand on appeal."

The two patents at issue involve battery separators -- a critical component for ensuring the safety and performance of electric vehicle batteries.

—IANS

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