The US International Trade Commission on Thursday ruled in favor of SK Innovation in its battery patent case against LG Energy Solution, in an unexpected twist in the legal battle. In its preliminary decision, the ITC said SK had not infringed on any of LGES’ four battery patents in a case that was filed by LGES in September 2019. This is separate from the battery trade theft case, in which the ITC sided with LGES and slapped SKI with a “devastating” 10-year business ban in t

Industry April 1, 2021

South Korean energy company GS Caltex was among the companies behind the launch of a new oil exchange in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, to help secure a more stable and transparent supply of Middle East crude. Launched Monday, the new International Exchange Futures Abu Dhabi, or IFAD, has listed the Middle Eastern nation’s flagship Murban crude and started trading Murban crude futures. GS Caltex joined global oil majors BP, Total, Inpex, Vitol, Shell, PetroChina to support its incepti

Industry March 30, 2021

Hanwha Q Cells said Tuesday it has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Chinese solar company Astronergy in Germany. The lawsuit, filed on March 12 with German court, accuses Astronergy of stealing Hanwha’s patented technology that enhances the efficiency of solar cells. The legal action is the latest from Hanwha against Chinese competitors. Previously it sued three firms -- Jinko Solar, LONGi Solar and REC -- in March 2019. Last June, Germany’s Dusseldorf District Court r

Industry March 30, 2021

SK Innovation’s battery recycling technology has been verified by Argonne National Laboratory, a research institute under the US Department of Energy, the company said Monday. According to SKI, the technology extracts metals inside used-up lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles. Lithium retrieved with this technology emits 74 percent and 41 percent less greenhouse emissions compared to that produced from mines and salt lakes, respectively, according to Argonne National Laboratory&r

Industry March 29, 2021

Hyundai Oilbank said Monday that it will expand its Blue Clean campaign to seek solar and hydrogen transition throughout its value chain -- from logistics centers to service stations. Blue is Hyundai Oilbank’s brand color. According to the South Korean refinery, it will install solar power generation facilities at leftover spaces inside logistics centers where petrochemical products are shipped in and out. “The logistics centers consume a huge amount of electricity. Hyundai Oilb

Industry March 29, 2021

Public distrust is running high over the safety of high-nickel lithium-ion batteries after a series of electric vehicle recalls by renowned automakers including Volkswagen, BMW, Renault, General Motors, Ford and Hyundai Motor. Amid growing concerns, lithium iron phosphate batteries -- LFP batteries, which use iron instead of nickel -- have emerged as a safer alternative, though they are less powerful than high-nickel batteries. But despite the widespread belief that high-nickel batteries a

Industry March 28, 2021

Samsung SDS President and CEO Hwang Sung-woo urged the company to realign itself into a cloud-based business platform that focuses on logistics and security services. “It is now time for Samsung SDS to transform into a true cloud company. Let us concentrate all strengths on cloud, logistics and security,” Hwang said Friday in an email sent out to staff and executives. Marking his first official message since taking office last December, Hwang made it clear that cloud-based busine

Industry March 26, 2021

SK Innovation said it cannot accept rival LG Energy Solution’s demands for damage compensation it suffered after its battery technologies were stolen, dragging on an already drawn-out settlement dispute involving the two battery makers. The corresponding remark came during the company’s annual shareholders meeting on Friday and also in the wake of LGES’ vow on the previous day that it will fight to receive reasonable compensation from SK. At the 14th shareholders meeting hel

Industry March 26, 2021

LG Corp., the holding firm of South Korea’s fourth-largest conglomerate by assets LG Group, received approval from shareholders on Friday to set up another parent entity as part of the conglomerate spinoff plan. Set for launch on May 1, LX Holdings will take four non-electronics affiliates with promising outlooks -- LG International, LG Hausys, LG MMA and Silicon Works under its umbrella. LG Corp. will keep electronics, chemicals and communications businesses and focus on future growth e

Industry March 26, 2021

Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering said Friday it launched a shipyard simulation system based on a game engine for optimized operations. According to DSME, it utilized the Unity game engine and constructed a 3D version of its actual shipyard. Inside the simulated space, DSME developed an algorithm that provides optimized transporter routes and block assembly. DSME aims to further advance the simulation system by applying cloud computing and machine learning technologies. Also, th

Industry March 26, 2021

SK Innovation took a CT scan of LG Energy Solution’s electric vehicle batteries in a potential attempt to use it in its legal dispute with the local rival, industry sources told The Korea Herald. SK Innovation requested a research facility in South Korea to take CT images of its own batteries and LG Energy Solution’s. This was while their battery trade secret case was ongoing in the US. “SK Innovation took the images to compare the inner structures of its pouch-type batte

Industry March 25, 2021

South Korea will nurture the local industry for next-generation power chips as a new strategic investment for future chip leadership, the government said Thursday. At the seventh meeting on innovative growth, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy unveiled a blueprint that contains measures to establish an ecosystem for next-generation power chips ranging from key technologies to product development and mass production. Built to handle high voltages and large currents without damage, p

Industry March 25, 2021

S-Oil donated 100 million won ($88,200) in total for 10 single-parent households with members who had suffered burn injuries. According to the South Korean refinery, it delivered the donation to the Hallym Burn Foundation at a ceremony at the Hallym University Medical Center on Thursday. Each of the 10 households will receive 10 million won. This is the first donation S-Oil has made to assist burn victims. Established in 2008, the Hallym Burn Foundation helps burn patients with medical and r

Industry March 25, 2021

In a notable shift of tone, senators in the US state of Georgia have called on LG Energy Solution and SK Innovation to resolve their battery patent disputes on their own. According to media reports Wednesday, the Georgia Senate unanimously passed a resolution on Tuesday US time, which calls on two battery makers to negotiate a settlement so that SK could continue building two battery factories in the state. A draft of the resolution had reportedly been directed toward President Joe Biden,

Industry March 24, 2021

LG Chem said Tuesday it is working with a local start-up to launch a door-to-door plastic retrieval service. South Korea’s leading petrochemical company signed an agreement with zero-waste packaging provider Innerbottle to start a service where residents can simply put plastic waste inside a bag outside their doors and let a worker pick them up. “For example, if a customer orders a cosmetic product from a brand that uses Innerbottle’s plastic container, an eco-bag will be s

Industry March 23, 2021