LS-L&F Battery Solutions (LLBS), a joint venture between L&F, a global secondary battery materials specialist, and LS Group, has completed construction of a large-scale precursor plant in the Saemangeum National Industrial Complex in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province. This completion is considered a strategic milestone for localizing the K-battery value chain and establishing a stable supply chain.

LLBS, a joint venture established in October 2023 by L&F and LS Group's holding company, LS Corp., will invest a total of KRW 1 trillion to produce precursors, a key battery material. The Saemangeum plant, measuring approximately 40,000 pyeong (approximately 133,000 square meters), is expected to create approximately 1,000 jobs and contribute to the revitalization of the local economy.

The production plan will expand in stages. Phase 1 will see production capacity increase to 20,000 tons in 2026, Phase 2 to 40,000 tons in 2027, and by 2029, the company plans to build a production system with an annual capacity of 120,000 tons, equivalent to 1.3 million electric vehicles.

L&F plans to produce high-nickel cathode materials using precursors supplied by LLBS and supply them to global battery manufacturers. In particular, LLBS will convert the nickel sulfate supplied by LS MnM into a precursor, and L&F will complete this into a high-performance cathode material, thereby establishing a value chain based on purely domestic technology that runs from 'nickel sulfate → precursor → cathode material.'

At the completion ceremony, L&F Chairman of the Board, Heo Je-hong, said, “The LLBS precursor plant is a turning point for the advancement of the secondary battery industry in Korea and a starting point for leading the global transition to eco-friendly energy.”

An L&F official said, “In the midst of the restructuring of the global supply chain, the Saemangeum plant is a strategic base that will lead domestic production and de-Sinicization,” adding, “We will strengthen the trust of global customers by stably supplying cathode materials to all product lines, from premium electric vehicles to mass-market EVs and ESS.”

With the establishment of this joint venture, L&F is also expanding its investment in its own technological advancements and R&D. Through these efforts, it plans to strengthen its product strategy to address diverse needs, including high-performance premium EVs, price-competitive entry-level EVs, and large-capacity ESS.