Irem announced on the 24th that its affiliate, XR-B, will officially start operating a production plant with an annual capacity of 100MWh in Eumseong, Chungbuk.
XR-B, a specialist company in Vanadium Redox Battery ESS (Energy Storage System), plans to begin full-scale production of XR-B batteries at Irem's Eumseong factory. The dedicated battery production plant, approximately 1500㎡ in size, will carry out parts preparation, stack assembly, system integration, inspection, and shipment in a one-stop process.
The ESS produced at Irem's Eumseong factory is planned to support a range of applications from small-scale renewable power generation to utility-grade ESS for domestic and international VPL and NWA uses, as well as overseas long-duration ESS.
ESS can stably store large amounts of electricity. It is a system that can supply electricity immediately when needed, using a large number of batteries. The most suitable battery is considered to be the vanadium battery. It uses an aqueous electrolyte, which eliminates fire risk, and its long lifespan of over 20 years is a key advantage.
Recently, with the surge in AI data centers that consume massive amounts of power, the demand for ESS has also greatly increased. Accordingly, the company analyzes that the market related to vanadium batteries will grow simultaneously. According to market research firm BloombergNEF (BNEF), ESS installations are expected to increase by 61% compared to the previous year.
The company stated, “We already possess stack technology capable of producing more than three times the output compared to competitors with the same specifications,” and added, “We are in a position to reduce stack costs by 30-50% compared to other companies.” They further noted, “In the future, we will be able to secure both quality and cost-effectiveness through automated production facilities.”
Recently, XR-B has embarked on a joint development and demonstration project with Korea East-West Power, a domestic power generation public enterprise, for a hybrid ESS combining vanadium battery-based flow-type long-duration and stationary short-duration units. Through this, they plan to replace existing lithium batteries to prevent fire risks and establish a stable power infrastructure.
Additionally, XR-B plans to expand its market not only through finished products but also by providing technology licensing, engineering services, product development, and deployment services via the next-generation Vanadium Redox Flow Battery (VRFB) platform called the XRB platform, which enables cost reductions of over 50% compared to existing VRFBs.
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