Powering the next generation of energy: an interview with Lee Seung-jun

As the demand for clean energy and emerging technologies continues to grow, batteries are becoming the foundation of electric vehicles and artificial intelligence infrastructure. In this interview, Lee Seung-jun, Media Relations Manager at Samsung SDI, discussed the company's next-generation battery technologies, efforts to build a more sustainable battery lifecycle, and how innovations such as energy storage systems are shaping the future of the energy transition.

First, could you tell us a little about what you’re currently working on?

Yes, I’m in charge of media relations for the Communications Team at Samsung SDI. My role involves effectively communicating the company’s achievements and vision—such as our next-generation battery technology, global investments, and ESG management—to domestic media outlets.

Since batteries are undoubtedly a key technology in this era, in your opinion, what do you think is the most significant way in which SDI’s batteries contribute to carbon reduction?

First of all, since we’re a battery manufacturer, I believe we’re contributing to carbon neutrality through our battery technology. Above all, we’re producing high-energy-density batteries, and when these are installed in electric vehicles, they maximize driving range and minimize energy loss. This helps reduce actual carbon emissions on the road. Furthermore, we are continuously working to achieve goals such as the RE100 initiative in the battery production process. Additionally, we have established a recycling system for end-of-life batteries, thereby reducing our carbon footprint throughout the entire process—from raw material extraction to disposal.

Could you explain the specific efforts you’re making to reduce carbon emissions throughout the entire process—from battery production and use to recycling?

First, regarding our end-of-life battery recycling system, in the past, the production process inevitably generated a significant amount of waste. Not only does this waste represent a loss of raw materials, but incinerating or landfilling it can also cause environmental pollution and result in various opportunity costs. In our case, we deal with “battery scrap”—the residue generated during these processes—as well as discarded samples. We’re collecting these materials and, together with our partners, developing technologies to extract raw materials from them, thereby establishing a system that minimizes the amount of material that ends up as waste.

Batteries seem to be used extensively these days not only in electric vehicles but also in AI data centers. In your view, how do you think the battery market will change in the future—in terms of the energy transition or, conversely, the growth of AI data centers and similar applications?

First of all, as AI accelerates, many data centers, cloud services, and servers are being built. These data centers consume a tremendous amount of electricity. Therefore, it’s very difficult to meet this demand with the existing power grid. Furthermore, since the existing grid primarily relies on nuclear and coal-fired power generation—which can cause environmental pollution—efforts are currently underway to have these AI data centers powered by renewable energy sources. However, since renewable energy sources can be somewhat unstable, there is a high demand for energy storage systems (ESS). Consequently, this market is growing significantly, particularly in the U.S. and South Korea. In this context, battery companies—including ours—are placing a greater emphasis on ESS products. We are making significant efforts to develop ESS products that offer high efficiency and safety.

You mentioned that you’re in charge of media relations. Is there anything in particular that the public is most curious about recently, or conversely, any specific aspect of SDI’s messaging that you’d like to highlight?

Naturally, many people are curious about our future path, the company’s direction, and our vision. This is because Chinese companies are currently performing exceptionally well in terms of both technological capabilities and market share, so there’s intense interest in whether domestic companies can overcome this challenge with their own technological strengths. 

First of all, I’d say our two biggest differentiators are our roadmap for future technology and our relentless focus on safety. In these areas, we’re often referred to as a “game-changer” in the battery industry and as a “next-generation battery” company. We’re at the forefront of the all-solid-state battery sector; we’ve already started operating what’s called a “pilot line”—essentially a sample production line—in advance. Since we’re aiming for mass production in 2027, I think it’s fair to say we’re leading the way in this technology. All-solid-state batteries have higher energy density and superior safety compared to the batteries we currently use, so they’re a technology capable of addressing most of the issues associated with current batteries. In conclusion, I believe that Samsung SDI’s unique capability lies in producing all-solid-state batteries that deliver both safety and technological advancement.

If the development of all-solid-state batteries and other next-generation technologies you mentioned continues to advance toward commercialization, do you anticipate any changes they might bring to electric vehicles or other carbon-neutrality goals?

First, we plan to begin mass production of solid-state batteries next year. Since they have an extremely high energy density, the distance an electric vehicle can travel on a single charge will increase. This should help resolve some of the limitations that existing EV batteries have faced, such as the need for frequent charging and design constraints caused by the space required for battery packs. Since we can store a large amount of energy within the same space, we can save on the materials used to manufacture the batteries, so this technology can also be seen as a way to reduce carbon emissions in that regard.

As you mentioned, you’re likely promoting these eco-friendly initiatives through media outreach. In this process, are there any principles you consider particularly important to avoid criticism of greenwashing?

First of all, there are criticisms that producing electric vehicle batteries already consumes a significant amount of carbon in terms of environmental pollution or electricity usage. To address these concerns, we’re primarily focusing on initiatives—such as the RE100 project I mentioned earlier—that utilize eco-friendly energy even for power generation. In fact, our overseas facilities are already primarily using renewable energy. However, since the infrastructure for that isn’t quite in place domestically yet, we’re making a gradual effort to achieve our targets by 2030.

Finally, looking to the near future, if there is one area of the energy transition where you think Samsung SDI will make the greatest contribution, what do you think it will be?

From a fresh perspective, physical AI—such as humanoid robots—is currently receiving a lot of attention. Batteries are essential for these humanoid robots to actually operate, but we currently assess that existing technology does not yet provide batteries capable of storing sufficient energy within such small bodies. Since they require frequent recharging—for example, having to recharge after just two hours of use—we believe it will be difficult for humanoid robots to advance further under these conditions. In this regard, since we are conducting various research projects on all-solid-state batteries and other next-generation battery technologies, we believe that batteries will be able to lead the physical AI market. I believe there are many ways in which our company and other domestic battery companies can contribute in this area.