Hanwha Defense and Electric Research Institute Collaborate on Battery System Development for Electric Propulsion Ships

Hanwha Defense-Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute Memorandum of Understanding Signing Ceremony. (Photo by Hanwha Defense)

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Hanwha Defense announced on the 23rd that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) on the 22nd to cooperate in the development of battery systems for electric propulsion ships.

The signing ceremony held at KERI's Changwon headquarters was attended by key officials from both sides, including Hanwha Defense CEO Son Jae-il and KERI President Myung Sung-ho.

Through this agreement, Hanwha Defense and KERI plan to further solidify their cooperative relationship, which has continued since 2016 in developing lithium battery systems for submarines, and expand their collaboration to battery systems for military surface ships and civilian vessels.

According to the MOU, both parties will cooperate in a wide range of areas including ▲successful development and deployment of lithium battery systems for naval submarines ▲collaborative research on safety and system-level verification of ESS for military (submarine/surface ship) use ▲development, testing, and research cooperation on high-power/high-safety battery systems for ships ▲collaboration on the establishment and revision of international/domestic standards related to the safety and reliability of ship battery systems ▲leading research and development cooperation for applying next-generation secondary batteries such as all-solid-state batteries to electric propulsion ships.

With the recent strengthening of environmental regulations by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the global shipbuilding and shipping markets are rapidly transitioning from conventional fuel-powered ships to eco-friendly and high-efficiency ship systems. In South Korea, as part of the government's ‘Green Ship-K’ strategy, the transition to eco-friendly ships for public institution vessels is being promoted. Accordingly, ESS (Energy Storage System) as an auxiliary energy source on ships is receiving significant attention.

Hanwha Defense is accelerating its business to develop and supply battery systems for electric propulsion ships, including military surface ships, government vessels, and commercial ships, based on its unparalleled safety and reliability in the ESS field accumulated through the submarine lithium battery system project.

Hanwha Defense’s high-safety battery systems are already installed on numerous government vessels and demonstration ships. To further enhance safety and increase the domestic production rate to 100%, Hanwha Defense was selected as the lead organization for the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy’s national project (Development of High-Safety ESS Packaging Technology for Ships), which has been underway since June this year.

Hanwha Defense CEO Son Jae-il said, "We are very grateful for the significant support from KERI in developing lithium battery systems for submarines, and we hope that this MOU signing will further expand the cooperative relationship between the two parties." He added, "By combining our battery system design and manufacturing technology with KERI’s research and testing infrastructure, we will strive to supply battery systems with world-class performance, safety, and reliability to the market."