“Japan Denso and Fuji Electric collaborate to increase power semiconductor production…Government also supports”
The Yomiuri Shimbun reported on the 29th that Japan’s major auto parts company Denso and semiconductor giant Fuji Electric are collaborating in the production of power semiconductors.
According to the newspaper, the two companies plan to invest approximately 210 billion yen (approximately 1.95 trillion won) to jointly increase production of power semiconductors for electric vehicles. In particular, the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry plans to provide approximately 70 billion yen (approximately 650 billion won) in support. This will help strengthen the base of production facilities in Japan.
Denso is in charge of semiconductor substrates such as silicon carbide (SiC) wafers with high energy-saving performance, and Fuji Electric is in charge of SiC semiconductor production. They each plan to expand their facilities.
German government prepares new semiconductor subsidy worth 3 trillion won
Bloomberg News reported on the 28th (local time), citing anonymous sources, that the German government is preparing a new subsidy of 2 billion euros (about 2.9 trillion won) to be paid for the construction of semiconductor production facilities.
The new funding will be used to help semiconductor companies develop “production capacities that significantly surpass current state-of-the-art technologies,” the German Ministry of Economic Affairs said in a statement on Tuesday, Bloomberg reported. The total subsidy is expected to be around 2 billion euros, sources said.
Initially, the German government decided to apply the European Union’s (EU) Chips Act to support 100 billion euros (about 14.7 trillion won) of the 30 billion euros (about 44 trillion won) cost of building a factory in Germany for Intel of the United States. However, when Intel, which was facing financial difficulties, put the German factory construction plan on hold in September, the subsidy payment fell through.
Semes, 10,000th mass-produced semiconductor logistics automation equipment ‘OHT’ shipped
Semiconductor equipment manufacturer Semes announced on the 29th that it had a ceremony to ship the 10,000th OHT, the first domestically developed core semiconductor logistics automation equipment. OHT is a transport system that moves containers (FOUP) containing wafers along fixed rails installed on the ceiling of a semiconductor line to each process equipment.
This equipment had been entirely imported from Japanese companies until then, but in 2011, SEMES developed its own OHT equipment after extensive research and development, and is currently seeing an import substitution effect of hundreds of billions of won per year. The next-generation OHT equipment that SEMES will unveil in the first half of next year is the world’s best, and can move 5 meters per second in a straight line and 1 meter in a curve quietly and without dust, and compared to existing equipment, it has reduced wafer loading time and vibration and increased transfer load, greatly improving return efficiency by more than 30%, the company explained.
Intel: “Semiconductor subsidies, limited sale of foundry stakes”
Intel announced on the 27th (local time) that if the foundry (semiconductor contract manufacturing) division is spun off, there will be certain restrictions on the sale of shares in the foundry corporation due to U.S. government subsidies.
Recently, the U.S. Department of Commerce made a final decision to provide Intel with $7.865 billion (approximately 11 trillion won) in subsidies under the Chips Act.
In this regard, CNBC reported, citing sources, that “Intel is considering whether to spin off the foundry division and make it a separate listed company in addition to raising external funds.” In a disclosure filed on the 27th, Intel stated that if the foundry division is separated into an unlisted corporation, it must own at least 50.1% of the foundry shares in order to receive subsidies.
Amkor, a U.S. semiconductor company, to open its first research center in Japan next year… “Strengthening cooperation with Korea”
Amkor Technologies, a U.S. semiconductor back-end process company, announced on the 28th that it will open a research and development base in Fukuoka, Japan in April next year, Kyodo News reported. Amkor has manufacturing bases in Fukuoka and Kumamoto prefectures in Japan, but this is the first time it is establishing a research and development base.
Amkor plans to invest up to 1 billion yen (approximately 9 billion won) to research advanced packaging technology along with the development of mass production technology and materials for automotive semiconductors. Amkor is the world’s second-largest company in terms of sales in the back-end process, including semiconductor testing and packaging.
Russia’s own production of ’16nm processor’ cut off from US semiconductors
According to Chinese media outlet ITzia on the 28th, Russian Deputy Minister of Industry Vasily Shpak announced that the company has started delivering the 16nm process 48-core Baikal-S processor ‘BE-S1000X’ to Russian companies. The initial batch of 1,000 units was delivered, mainly for servers and storage.
The processor was developed and designed by Baikal Electronics, the largest fabless company in Russia. The foundry company for the chip announced this time is not clear. Some Chinese media outlets, including Chaonengwang, have raised the possibility that Baikal Electronics may have placed an indirect order to Taiwan’s TSMC through an agent company.
RNT Technology Receives Certification for Ceramic Heat Dissipation Substrate for Power Semiconductors
RNT Technology, a ceramic material and component specialist, announced on the 27th that it has obtained the international automotive quality management system ‘IATF16949’ certification for its ceramic heat dissipation substrates for power semiconductors.
According to the company, IATF 16949 is a global quality certification required for all parts used in the automotive industry. It is an essential standard for stable and reliable parts supply. In order to receive this certification, a strict quality management system must be established, and the systematic management capabilities of production facilities and manufacturing sites must be verified.
This certification is the result of RNT Technology receiving IATF16949 certification for its ceramic powder last month, and its ceramic heatsink substrates receiving recognition for their quality reliability. Based on this, RNT Technology plans to secure a new growth engine by making a full-fledged entry into the global automotive supply chain.
Production scale of ‘1 million’ electric vehicles… POSCO completes construction of Gwangyang lithium hydroxide plant
POSCO Pilbara Lithium Solution, an affiliate of POSCO Group, announced on the 29th that it has completed construction of its second ore-based lithium hydroxide plant in the Yulchon Industrial Complex in Gwangyang-si, Jeollanam-do. With this, POSCO Pilbara Lithium Solution has completed a production system for lithium hydroxide for secondary batteries with an annual capacity of 43,000 tons. This is enough to produce approximately 1 million electric vehicles.
POSCO Pilbara Lithium Solution was established in 2021 as a joint venture between POSCO Holdings and Australian mining company Pilbara Minerals with a ratio of 82 to 18. It imports Australian lithium ore raw materials to Korea and produces lithium hydroxide for secondary battery materials. The second plant was completed just one year after the completion of the first plant in November last year. In 2018, POSCO Holdings invested a 4.75% stake in Pilbara Minerals and signed a contract to supply lithium ore raw materials mined from Pilbara Minerals’ Pilganggura mine for 20 years, securing a stable raw material supply chain.
The cause of the Mercedes-Benz electric car fire is finally a mystery… Battery cell damage is presumed
The cause of the fire in a Mercedes-Benz EQE350+ electric vehicle that occurred in an underground parking lot of an apartment in Cheongna International City, Incheon last August has not been identified. Police confirmed the possibility of an electrical factor inside the battery pack and external impact, but were unable to secure evidence to determine the cause of the fire.
Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency’s Mobile Criminal Investigation Unit announced on the 28th that they had conducted an investigation into the cause of the fire related to the ‘Cheongna Benz electric vehicle fire’, but were unable to confirm the exact cause, although they confirmed the possibility of ignition due to external impact on the battery pack.
Hyundai Motor to Sell Part of SK On Battery Priority Supply Rights to Kia
Hyundai Motor Company announced on the 27th that it will sell some of the priority battery supply rights it secured after investing in SK On to Kia, an affiliate of the same group.
Hyundai Motor Company approved the plan at a board meeting held on this day. The transaction amount is 115.1 billion won, and the sale is scheduled to take place next month.
Hyundai Motor Company previously received priority supply rights when it invested in a dedicated line facility within the SK On Battery plant. Some of this is being sold, but it is not known which battery plant it is.
Korea Zinc, Hanwha Group Join Hands to Commercialize ‘Australian Battery ESS’
Korea Zinc announced on the 26th that it has selected Hanwha as the preferred negotiating partner for the system integration package, including batteries, for Australia’s largest battery energy storage system project being carried out by its Australian subsidiary, Arc Energy.
In September 2022, Korea Zinc and Hanwha Group established a strategic partnership through an equity swap between Arc Energy and HPS Global, Hanwha Impact’s US subsidiary.
Since then, the two countries have continued their cooperative relationship in the eco-friendly energy business sector, such as launching a Korea-Australia consortium in July of last year for the purpose of jointly reviewing green hydrogen projects.
SK On Battery, produced with domestically produced lithium
SK On announced on the 24th that it signed a long-term supply contract for lithium hydroxide with POSCO Pilbara Lithium Solution at the POSCO Center in Gangnam-gu, Seoul on the 22nd. POSCO Pilbara Lithium Solution will supply SK On with up to 15,000 tons of high-purity lithium hydroxide produced domestically for three years starting next year. An extension of the contract for another three years is also possible.
Lithium hydroxide is the main material for nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) cathode materials.
SK On is expecting that by expanding its lithium hydroxide supply sources, which are concentrated in specific countries such as China, it will also increase its raw material purchase negotiation power in the future. It plans to shorten the time it takes to procure lithium hydroxide, thereby reducing logistics and inventory costs and responding quickly to changes in demand.
Enchem to supply electrolyte for ESS batteries to AESC’s Chinese plant
Electrolyte company Enchem announced on the 27th that it has been selected by global battery manufacturer AESC as the final supplier of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery electrolyte for energy storage systems (ESS) produced at its Erdos plant in China. Enchem had previously begun supplying electrolyte for ESS LFP batteries to AESC’s North American plant.
AESC is a Japanese-Chinese battery manufacturing company that operates production facilities and research and development (R&D) centers around the world, including Japan, the UK, the US, and China. It produces batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) as well as ESS, and has various global automakers as its customers, including Nissan, Renault, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW.
Based on this selection, Enchem plans to supply electrolyte equivalent to approximately 70% of the total ESS battery volume produced at the Erdos plant.
‘Goldman 1 Trillion Loss’ Spreads as Europe’s Largest Battery Company Bankrupts
According to the Financial Times (FT) on the 23rd (local time), Goldman Sachs stated in a letter to investors, “Goldman Sachs private equity fund invested $896 million (approximately 1.26 trillion won) in Northvolt, and this amount will be fully written off (asset value 0) at the end of the year.” Goldman Sachs first invested in Northvolt in 2019, leading a $1 billion funding round with investors including German automaker Volkswagen. Since then, Goldman Sachs has made various investments to own a 19% stake in Northvolt.
The FT reported that “just seven months ago, Goldman Sachs was optimistic, telling (another) investor that ‘Northvolt’s investment is worth 4.29 times its investment amount and will increase sixfold next year. ’”
Daedong wins contract to develop ‘Level 4 autonomous tractor’
Daedong, a leading company in future agriculture, announced on the 28th that it has won a government project to advance autonomous agricultural machinery technology and develop AI-based future agricultural technology while promoting artificial intelligence (AI) transformation in domestic agriculture.
This project is the ‘Development of Level 4 Autonomous Tractor Technology Capable of Recognizing the Agricultural Work Environment and Responding to Errors’ project commissioned by the Korea Institute of Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETI) of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The research and development period is until March 2029.
Daedong is conducting five research and development projects through an industry-academia-research consortium including Daedong AI Lab, Seoul National University, National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Kyungpook National University, and the University of Florida in the United States. The projects are ▲High-precision control technology for actuators based on environmental awareness ▲Vision sensor-based environmental awareness system (smart loop) ▲Optimal path generation and cluster control for irregular work areas ▲Soil characteristic measurement and agricultural work performance prediction model ▲Establishment of a North American agricultural work environment DB.
‘Chinese autonomous driving’ PonydotAI listed on NASDAQ
Chinese autonomous driving startup Pony.AI has been listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange in New York, USA. On the first day of trading, the 27th (local time), Pony.AI closed at $12, down $1 (7.69%) from its IPO price on the NASDAQ market.
Bloomberg News in the United States evaluated that the New York Stock Exchange is very interested in autonomous driving technology and Chinese companies. Pony.AI is operating robotaxis in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou in China and California in the United States. Bloomberg analyzed that Pony.AI entered the U.S. capital market in anticipation of the autonomous driving policy of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.
Autocrypt, building a ‘V2X security authentication system’
Autocrypt announced on the 25th that it had won a contract for the ‘V2X Security Authentication System Demonstration System Improvement Project’ hosted by the Korea Expressway Corporation.
Through this project, the first domestic ‘KS (Korean Industrial Standards) standard-based V2X security certification system demonstration system’ will be built. This is the first case of applying the KS standard (KS standard advance notice completed, KS standard establishment planned) to the domestic road next-generation intelligent transportation system.
The company explains that this is expected to be an important turning point for the spread of national C-ITS (Cooperative Intelligent Transport System) technology. Through the project, a V2X security certification system verification system will be improved and built in accordance with the Korean KS standard to strengthen V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) communication security in road infrastructure.
World’s No. 1 LiDAR Company, Hesai, Plans to Significantly Reduce LiDAR Prices
China’s Hesai Technology, the world’s leading manufacturer of lidar sensors for autonomous vehicles, is reportedly planning to significantly reduce the price of its lidar sensors starting next year.
According to Reuters on the 27th (local time), CEO Li Yifan Hesai said in an interview with Reuters that day, “We plan to lower the price of the latest AT series products to below $200 starting next year.”
This is about half the price of the AT128 lidar sensor currently produced by Hesai, Reuters reported. “Hesai’s decision to supply the new lidar sensor at such a low price is intended to popularize it as an essential part of electric vehicles, just as airbags and seat belts are essential parts of cars,” CEO Li explained.
LGD “Operating Profit Turnaround Next Year”… Corporate Value Plan Released
LG Display announced a value-up plan aimed at ‘turning around operating profit next year’.
The plan is to expand profit performance by leading OLED (organic light-emitting diode) that enables technological differentiation, and to improve profitability through operational efficiency and cost reduction. LG Display announced a value-up plan (increasing corporate value) with profitability improvement as its main content through a public notice on the 22nd.
LG Display is facing an accumulation of deficits due to intensifying competition in the LCD (liquid crystal display) display market, but it expects to secure structural profitability in the second half of next year after withdrawing from the business. Based on this improvement in profitability, it plans to achieve its goal of turning around annual net profit.
Huawei Unveils World’s Thinnest ‘4.3mm’ Foldable Phone, Mate X6
On the 26th (local time), Chinese telecommunications equipment company Huawei unveiled the ‘Mate X6’, the world’s thinnest foldable smartphone with a thickness of just 4.3mm when unfolded.
The ‘Mate X6’ features a 7.93-inch main foldable LTPO OLED display that supports 120Hz variable refresh rate on the inside, and a 6.45-inch LTPO OLED display that also supports 120Hz variable refresh rate on the outside.
The internal display supports a maximum brightness of 1800 nits, and the external display supports a maximum brightness of 2500 nits. Information on the chipset installed inside has not been disclosed, but it is known to be the Kirin 9100 chipset with a 6nm process.
Source: kipost.net