South Korean battery makers, such as LG Chem Ltd., showcased their latest battery products at a local trade fair Wednesday, with visitors having a chance to peek into the latest technologies being developed in the burgeoning sector.

At the InterBattery 2017, which runs through Friday in Seoul, LG Chem rolled out "Free Form" batteries, which can be easily customized into various products, such as IT and wearable devices.
 

The country's top chemical firm also showcased round batteries that can be used in drones, as well as energy storage system battery cells.

Its local rival Samsung SDI Co. also showcased a round battery product whose power capacity is 50 percent greater than existing rivals.

Samsung SDI also released residential ESS products.
 

Local battery makers, including latecomer SK Innovation Co., have been stepping up efforts to expand their output to meet growing demand from automakers and IT firms.

Earlier, the three battery makers said they would invest 2.6 trillion won by 2020 to upgrade electric vehicle battery technology and expand local production facilities. The figure consists of 610 billion won to upgrade batteries for EVs and energy storage systems and another 2 trillion won for production facilities.

LG Chem opened a new battery factory in Poland in late 2016 to add to its overseas production lines that include facilities in the United States and China, while Samsung SDI completed the construction of its EV battery plant in Hungary in May.

SK Innovation said earlier it plans to build production lines in Europe to supply batteries to the German automaker Daimler, which owns the Mercedes-Benz brand. (Yonhap)