Japanese battery startup APB has announced it has partnered with the world¡¯s largest oil firm, Saudi Aramco, to jointly develop materials for next-generation lithium-ion batteries and introduce them to global markets.
Fukui-based APB says that safer and low-cost all-polymer batteries will play a crucial role in decarbonization, and that it is building a pilot production line at its Fukui plant to prepare for mass production in the fiscal year beginning April 2026.
Saudi Arabia¡¯s state-run Saudi Aramco has been boosting investments in the fields of renewables and storage batteries to gear up decarbonization efforts.
Saudi Aramco, which has been looking at various potential technologies, became interested in APB¡¯s all-polymer battery technology and reached a partnership agreement with the startup earlier this month, APB said Monday.
¡°Through this agreement, APB will further innovate the technology of polymer materials and accelerate the expansion of the scale of its production systems via joint development with the global company Saudi Aramco, promoting the development of the all-polymer battery, which many call the ¡®ultimate battery,¡¯¡± the firm said in a statement.
The two firms are also looking into jointly producing further improved all-polymer batteries.
APB was founded in 2018 by Hideaki Horie, a former Nissan engineer who developed battery systems for the Leaf electric vehicle model, after he teamed up with Sanyo Chemical Industries.
In contrast to existing lithium-ion batteries, which use metal parts for current collectors, all-polymer batteries replace those with high-electric-resistance polymer, which APB says significantly lowers the risk of abrupt temperature rise and ignition.
Also, the next-generation batteries can possess higher energy density, allowing for a more compact size. In addition, they require fewer parts and involve a simpler manufacturing process, so production costs can be reduced, according to APB.
In an interview with Bloomberg in 2020, Horie said that APB would not focus on the automotive sector because it was already a ¡°red ocean¡± with tough competition, saying that the firm would aim at supplying stationary batteries for offices and power plants, as demand is expected to grow.
APB¡¯s technology has drawn investment from some major Japanese firms.
The firm has raised about ?8.8 billion from companies including general contractor Obayashi, fiber-maker Teijin and Yokogawa Electric.
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