SK On, SK Innovation and Standard Energy Partner to Advance High-Safety Vanadium Ion Battery Technology for Short-Duration Energy Storage
Date: 06 Jan 2026 |
Source: www.mk.co.kr, 6 January 2026
Collaboration targets fire-safe, high-power ESS solutions for demanding applications such as data centers and industrial facilities
SK On and SK Innovation today announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Standard Energy to jointly develop and strengthen vanadium ion battery (VIB) technology for energy storage systems (ESS), with a focus on outstanding fire safety and high power performance for short-duration applications.
Vanadium ion batteries use an aqueous, water-based electrolyte—an inherent design advantage that significantly enhances fire safety compared with conventional battery chemistries. Through this partnership, the companies will combine complementary capabilities to further advance VIB performance and improve overall competitiveness for ESS deployments where safety and reliable high-output operation are critical.
The MOU was signed on 5 January at Standard Energy’s headquarters in Daejeon. The signing ceremony was attended by Lee Seok-hee, President of SK On; Kisoo Park, Head of Future Technology Institute at SK On; Philseok Kim, Head of Environmental Science and Technology Institute at SK Innovation; and Kim Bugi, CEO of Standard Energy.
Meeting the needs of short-duration, high-power ESS
Energy storage is commonly categorized by storage duration. Short-duration ESS—typically designed for discharge times of under four hours—often requires frequent, repeated high-power operation in relatively short cycles. These demanding duty profiles elevate the importance of safety and output performance, especially for deployments in data centers, industrial facilities, and other environments where risk tolerance is low.
Expanding a safety-centered portfolio
The partnership also supports SK On’s broader strategy of expanding beyond established lithium-ion chemistries—such as NCM and LFP—toward a more diversified portfolio that emphasizes battery safety for ESS use cases.
“Through this collaboration, we will jointly develop Vanadium Ion Batteries for ESS with outstanding fire safety, further strengthening our product portfolio,” said Lee Seok-hee, President of SK On. “We aim to deliver new value to customers based on globally competitive technology.”
Kim Bugi, CEO of Standard Energy, added: “By rapidly commercializing Vanadium Ion Batteries—which have complementary characteristics to lithium-ion batteries—together with SK On and SK Innovation, we will set a new standard for ESS that can be used safely and reliably in environments where both safety and performance are required, such as data centers and indoor or urban settings.”