POSCO Holdings to Co-develop Batteries with Prologium

South Korean conglomerate POSCO Holdings recently signed an agreement to make an investment in Prologium and to co-develop cathode materials, silicon cathode materials, and solid electrolytes for solid-state batteries, in a bid to establish a global supply system.

Since its inception in 2006, Prologium manufactured solid-state batteries in the year 2012 and has been selling them to manufacturers of small IT devices such as smartwatches. 

The company is also receiving investment from the top investment companies in the world and co-developing solid-state batteries for electric vehicles with leading automakers such as the Mercedes-Benz Group.

With regards to conventional secondary batteries, electricity is produced and charged through liquid electrolytes between the anode and cathode electrodes of the battery, a "solid-state battery" is a next-generation battery that takes the place of the liquid electrolytes between the battery's anode and cathode with a solid and eliminates the need for a separator, which can secure safety and increase energy density.

POSCO Holdings is solidifying its capabilities to develop materials such as high-capacity anode materials and silicon anode materials that can be applied to solid-state batteries and has strengthened its capabilities to develop next-generation secondary battery materials by establishing POSCO JK Solid Solution at the beginning of this year.