2nd ASEAN Battery Technology Conference Strengthens Southeast Asia Battery Ecosystem Through New Collaborations and Expansion 

SINGAPORE: The 2nd ASEAN Battery Technology Conference (ABTC) returned and strengthened the commitment to develop a close knitted battery development ecosystem among the Southeast Asian countries. Hosted in Singapore this year by the Singapore Battery Consortium at Singapore at the Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa between 21st and 23rd August 2024.

The conference is also jointly organised by the alliance of leading battery related associations in the region - the Thailand Energy Storage Technology Association, the National Battery Research Institute, the National Center for Sustainable Transportation Technology, NanoMalaysia, and the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines.

Dr. Pimpa Limthongkul, Co-Chairman of ABTC and President of the Thailand Energy Storage Technology Association, said, "This year, we are excited to see the expansion of what we have achieved since we last gathered together last year in Bali. Our alliance has grown from three to now six battery associations in Southeast Asia and we will continue to grow in strength. Witnessing the collaborations between the battery associations, private sector and academia is a celebration of how we are moving forward together to drive innovation for a more connected and eco-friendly future in the region.”

On the second day of the conference, over 250 participants and the six leading battery associations in Southeast Asia witnessed the signing of three new Memorandums of Understanding or MoUs that will further the development of batteries in the region.

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Three Memorandums of Understanding

Gigafactory Malaysia (GMSB) and NEU Battery Materials (NEU) to Collaborate on Lithium Battery Recycling Development

The collaboration will focus on developing “Gigafactory” level operations and manufacturing of innovative battery technologies incorporating nanomaterials for mobility and stationary applications. This collaboration is the progression of the Memorandum of Understanding (“Memorandum”) signed in Bali, Indonesia at the 2023 ASEAN Battery and Electric Vehicle Technology Conference (ABEVTC) to promote cross-country collaboration within ASEAN on battery technology.

Singapore-based, NEU, who are specialists in LFP battery recycling will ensure a steady supply of recycled battery material, like lithium carbonate and other metals are made available to GMSB’s  Hydrogen-Electric-Vehicle-Battery (HEBATT) Centre for performance testing. GMSB is a subsidiary of NanoMalaysia.

The testing of the recycled material is to ensure their viability and sustainability within the Malaysia battery ecosystem, which would expand to localised development of a lithium battery recycling ecosystem for the ASEAN region. NEU and GMSB will facilitate this supply and development based on spent battery material being used in an end-to-end ecosystem.

This will also pave the way for the exploration of a joint-development programme for improved recycling efficiency between these two companies.

Gigafactory Malaysia Sdn Bhd (GMSB) and Khon Khean University (KKU) to Collaborate on Manufacturing of Cells Developed by GMSB

GMSB’s and KKU’s collaboration will leverage their joint expertise and resources, with KKU acting as the outsourced manufacturer for batteries developed by GMSB. The collaboration will also provide knowledge sharing in battery testing and certification that will lead to productivity advancements at GMSB's Hydrogen-Electric-Vehicle-Battery (HEBATT) Centre in Malaysia.

This Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is an extension of an agreement signed at the 2023 ASEAN Battery and Electric Vehicle Technology Conference (ABEVTC) in Bali, which involved key organisations from Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

Aligned with the ASEAN Battery Network's mission, this MoU aims to strengthen battery technology development within ASEAN.

Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE), Singapore and INV Corporation to collaborate on Joint Research to Develop Hybrid Battery Separators

A Research Collaborative Agreement will be signed between the Institute of Materials Research and Engineering in Singapore and INV to develop the next generation hybrid battery separators, which will address the challenges of safety faced by current rechargeable batteries.

This collaboration seeks to play on the strengths and IPs in solid state batteries developed in Singapore. INV is headquartered in Singapore and is the largest battery separator film manufacturer in the world. Its production plants are in Sweden and Malaysia.

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Samsung SDI Southeast Asia Expansion

Samsung SDI, a high-performance battery manufacturer based in South Korea, opened its Regional HQ in Southeast Asia in Singapore on 19 April 2024. Samsung SDI currently has two manufacturing sites in Southeast Asia, located in Malaysia and Vietnam. To enhance customer service, the company has established two sales offices in Vietnam (December 2023) and Singapore (April 2024).

Samsung SDI Southeast Asia PTE LTD (SDISEA) also announced that it will open Samsung SDI R&D Singapore (SDIRS) on 1 September 2024, during the 2nd ASEAN Battery Technology Conference (ABTC).

Under its vision of making the world greener and more sustainable through innovative technology, Samsung SDI will provide its customers in Southeast Asia with PRiMX (Prime Battery for Maximum Experience) batteries and technologies in pursuit of utmost customer satisfaction.

Hosting of the ABTC is rotated among the co-organisers.  In 2025, TESTA will host the ABTC in Thailand.

The conference's anchor sponsor is Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore (HMGICS), with the gala dinner sponsored by INV Corporation Pte Ltd.

Gold sponsors include Amphenol Communications Solutions, Quantel Pte Ltd, Infineon Technologies Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, and Gotion Singapore Pte Ltd, while silver sponsors are Concord New Energy Group Limited, Kewell Technology Co.,Ltd., Metrohm Singapore Pte Ltd, TME Systems Pte Ltd.

Additional sponsors include Samsung SDI Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd, Siemens Industry Software Pte Ltd, UL Standards & Engagement, and NEWARE Technology Limited. Publicity partners are the EV Association of Singapore, EV Association of Malaysia, and Turn Off Turn On Ventures.

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