An overview of StarPlus Energy's plant, a joint venture between Samsung SDI and Stellantis/ Courtesy of Samsung SDI

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SEOUL, March 27 (AJP) - Samsung SDI is set to invest about 30 billion won ($19.8 million) in Fino, a South Korea-listed subsidiary of China's CNGR Advanced Material, as part of efforts to strengthen its battery materials supply chain.

Fino released regulatory filing Thursday it had approved a rights issue of about 14.29 million new shares through a board resolution. Samsung SDI will subscribe to about 6.13 million shares, or about 40 percent of the offering, at an issue price of 4,897 won per share to secure an estimated 7.5 percent stake in the company.

The investment is aimed at securing supply chain stability from the precursor stage of battery production, a critical upstream material used in manufacturing cathodes. Precursors account for 70 to 80 percent of cathode production costs.

Fino is building domestic production facilities through CNP New Material Technology, a joint venture with POSCO Future M, with production lines for both nickel-cobalt-manganese and lithium iron phosphate cathode materials.

Samsung SDI is ramping up its energy storage system business in the United States through StarPlus Energy, a joint venture with Stellantis in Indiana. The company has secured more than 3.5 trillion won in ESS battery supply contracts with U.S. energy firms since late last year.

The move comes as Washington tightens restrictions on Chinese-origin materials in ESS batteries, pushing Korean battery makers to reduce their reliance on Chinese suppliers to meet subsidy requirements under U.S. energy legislation.
Kim Dong-young Business Reporter davekim0807@ajupress.com

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