OCI Takes First Step into Specialty Materials Business for Secondary Battery Silicon Anode Materials

Groundbreaking Ceremony for a 1,000-ton Annual Production Plant in Gunsan

OCI has broken ground on a special materials factory necessary for producing silicon anode materials for secondary batteries, taking its first step toward expanding its secondary battery materials business.

On the 11th, OCI held a groundbreaking ceremony for a factory producing ‘SiH4,’ a special material for silicon anodes, at the Gunsan National Industrial Complex in Jeonbuk. Attendees included OCI President Kim Yushin, Nexeon CEO Scott Brown, business stakeholders, Jeonbuk Deputy Governor for Economic Affairs Kim Jonghun, Gunsan Mayor Kang Imjun, and other local officials.

Officials attending the groundbreaking ceremony for OCI's special material factory for secondary battery anode materials held at the Gunsan National Industrial Complex in Jeonbuk on the 11th are taking a commemorative photo. Scott Brown, CEO of Nexon (second from the left), Kim Young-il, Chairman of the Gunsan City Council, Kim Jong-hoon, Vice Governor of Jeollabuk-do for Economic Affairs, Kim Yoo-shin, President of OCI, and Kang Im-jun, Mayor of Gunsan (Photo by OCI)

The factory, to be built on idle land at OCI’s Gunsan plant?which produces polysilicon for semiconductors and phosphoric acid?is scheduled for completion in the first half of 2025. The initial production capacity will be around 1,000 tons, and OCI plans to consider expanding production capacity in line with the growth of the secondary battery market.

OCI will use ultra-high-purity trichlorosilane (TCS), generated during the polysilicon manufacturing process for semiconductors, as raw material to produce materials used as raw materials for silicon anodes. This material will be supplied to Nexeon through a pipeline to minimize carbon emissions.

In July last year, OCI signed a long-term supply contract with Nexeon to supply approximately 70 billion KRW worth of special materials for silicon anodes over five years starting in 2025. Nexeon is a leading company in silicon anodes for secondary batteries, holding more than 170 key patents related to silicon anodes. In March, Nexeon broke ground on a silicon anode production plant with an annual capacity of 1,500 tons near OCI’s Gunsan plant.

Nexeon’s silicon anode is a second-generation product that improves the silicon expansion problem found in existing silicon anodes with low silicon content. It enhances energy density and offers advantages such as increasing battery capacity and charging speed by up to 50%. Recognized for its technology, Nexeon has signed a long-term supply contract with Japanese battery manufacturer Panasonic.

OCI plans to actively expand its business in the semiconductor and secondary battery materials sectors. OCI has independently developed high-softening-point pitch, an essential raw material for coating graphite anodes, for the first time in Korea, and is also preparing to establish a joint venture with Japanese chemical company Tokuyama and Malaysia to produce polysilicon intermediates for semiconductors.

President Kim Yushin stated, "Starting with the groundbreaking of the special materials factory for silicon anodes, OCI and Nexeon will change the paradigm of the secondary battery market and contribute to opening the era of eco-friendly energy. We will focus our corporate capabilities to leap forward as a global core materials company in the semiconductor and secondary battery materials fields and strengthen our market dominance based on independent technological capabilities."