| [Daegu Future Innovation Company]_Remplir

- Development of Korea's First Aqueous Positive Electrode Process

- Expected to Lower Manufacturing Costs by Up to 20% / Supply of LFP Batteries for Electric Forklifts / Localization of High-Power Battery Packs for Drones

[Employees are holding an idea meeting at the Remplir Research Institute in Songsan-ri, Yanggam-myeon, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do. Courtesy of Remplir]

From electric vehicles and energy storage systems (ESS) to drones and electric forklifts, batteries are now the core components of future industries. However, the rapidly growing lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery market is currently dominated by Chinese companies. Amid accelerating efforts to reduce dependence on Chinese batteries due to the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Europe's supply chain diversification policies, the localization of batteries and key materials is emerging as a key task for securing the competitiveness of related industries.

Headquartered in Daegu, Remplir is a battery specialist company that develops LFP batteries and key materials using its own technology to meet these changes in the supply chain. The company name ‘Remplir’ carries the French meaning of being ‘full and solid’ or ‘sturdy.’ It reflects the founding philosophy of growing into a company with unwavering competitiveness by steadily accumulating core battery technologies.

The company was established in 2019 and relocated its headquarters to Daegu in 2024. Subsequently, after completing a 150 MWh (megawatt-hour) production plant in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province last year, it established a system equipped with in-house capabilities from research to production by linking its R&D bases in Daejeon and Chuncheon.

The company develops and produces LFP battery cells, modules, and battery packs using its own technology. It provides high-safety battery solutions applicable to various fields, including ESS, industrial mobility, electric forklifts, and electric ships.

Its differentiated competitiveness also stems from its manufacturing process. While conventional lithium-ion batteries use the toxic chemical solvent Normal Methylpyrrolidone (NMP) to manufacture electrodes, Remplir has developed Korea's first "aqueous anode manufacturing process" utilizing water. This is an eco-friendly technology that reduces the emission of hazardous substances while lowering facility investment and production costs. The company expects this process to help meet global environmental regulations while simultaneously reducing manufacturing costs by up to 20%.

The technology is also yielding results in industrial settings. Unlike large corporations that sell only off-the-shelf products, Remplir provides "customized solutions" that respond immediately to the shapes and capacities required by clients. It was the first in Korea to supply LFP battery packs for electric forklifts to a major corporation and is expanding its application scope into industrial mobility sectors, such as electric excavators and Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs).

[Remplir Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) Battery, Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province]

The company plans to expand its production capacity this year by pursuing the expansion of its Hwaseong production plant and the establishment of automated facilities. The company is also continuing to invest in the development of next-generation lithium manganese iron phosphate (LMFP) batteries and key cathode materials. As the battery industry shifts from price competition to supply chain competition, Rumplier aims to enhance the competitiveness of the domestic battery ecosystem by leveraging domestic technology.

Co-CEO Kim Dong-hyun stated, “The battery industry is a strategic industry directly linked to national manufacturing competitiveness,” adding, “We will strengthen supply chain competitiveness based on eco-friendly manufacturing processes and domestic technology, and grow into a battery company recognized in the global market, using Daegu as our base.”

Reporter Jang Young-hoon jang@donga.com

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