S. Korean researchers to limit carbon emissions during battery manufacturing

The Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER) will invest 11.4 billion won in developing a solvent-free process that does not emit carbon dioxide in electrode manufacturing for lithium-ion batteries.

The process eliminates the 42 kilograms of carbon dioxide emitted by an electric car battery per kilowatt-hour to dry the solvent during the wet electrode manufacturing process.

KIER would be collaborating with three research institutions, two companies, and two universities over the next five years in developing devices and equipment based on the concept of dry processing.

The resulting lithium-ion battery has a 1.6 times higher energy density than existing batteries.

It’s also impossible to extend the thickness of electrode coatings up to a certain level element during the wet manufacturing process, thereby limiting energy density.