Kim Su-jin, CEO of Remplier (left), and Kim Moon-hwan, CEO of Wiable (right), signed a strategic alliance and investment agreement at Wiable's headquarters. / Photo = Wiable

Wiable, a telecommunications infrastructure company, is expanding its Energy Storage System (ESS) business by investing in Remplir, a manufacturer of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery cells. The company aims to achieve annual revenue of 200 billion won from its ESS business by 2030.

On the 24th, Wiable announced that it had entered into a strategic partnership with Remplir on the 20th and made an equity investment. The core of this investment is to secure a stable supply of LFP battery cells, a key component of ESS, and to acquire system manufacturing capabilities. Remplir is a manufacturer of prismatic LFP battery cells established in 2019. According to the company, it has secured proprietary technology ranging from electrode design to cell manufacturing and module/pack systems. It also possesses customized cell technology that designs batteries starting from the electrode stage according to the customer's intended use.

Currently, the company operates a production line with an annual capacity of 100 MWh (megawatt-hours) in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. It plans to expand its production capacity to the GWh (gigawatt-hour) level in the future. Recently, it developed prismatic sodium-ion batteries capable of operating even at temperatures as low as -40 degrees Celsius and is supplying prototypes. Wiable plans to combine Remplier's cell manufacturing technology with its own infrastructure business capabilities. The goal is to establish a business structure that provides a comprehensive service, ranging from battery cell supply and ESS system manufacturing to on-site construction and nationwide maintenance.

Based on this, the company is expanding its ESS business into four sectors: △Power grid and renewable energy-linked ESS; △Industrial and commercial backup power; △Communication infrastructure and smart grid power systems; and △Virtual Power Plants (VPP) and energy management services. Wireble intends to leverage the nationwide network established and maintained through its existing telecommunications infrastructure business as a competitive advantage for its ESS business. The plan is to generate 200 billion won in annual revenue from the ESS business by 2030, thereby expanding the business structure, which is currently centered on telecommunications infrastructure, into the energy sector.

A Wireble official stated, "Through our strategic investment with Rumplier, we have been able to secure the cell technology and system competitiveness necessary for the ESS business," adding, "We will expand our business with the goal of achieving 200 billion won in ESS revenue by 2030." A Rumplier official remarked, "We will leverage Wireble's infrastructure building and engineering capabilities to accelerate our entry into the large-scale ESS market and the pace of commercialization."

Park Ju-yeon, Reporter grumpy_cat@hankyung.com