Morrow Batteries achieves yield of 86 per cent from Customer Qualification Line in Korea in four months

Morrow Batteries ASA (Morrow) is announcing it has achieved stable production of battery cells at its Customer Qualification Line (CQL) in South Korea with a yield of 86 per cent. According to industry standards, the average yield is at 70% yield in the beginning, then moves up to 88-92% in the first two years of production. "Achieving 86% in four months suggests high efficiency and effectiveness in both production equipment and employee performance", says CEO Lars Christian Bacher.

Morrow started test production at Chungju-si in February and has produced more than 600 prismatic cells with the NMC battery chemistry. The industrial scale-up is now on track - meeting all product development targets for R&D and customer qualification production.

"I am very pleased about the initial production phase and incredibly proud of the team. The 86% indicates that the production equipment can deliver consistent and reliable results, contributing to increased productivity. Just as important, we have a highly skilled and dedicated team who makes all the difference in the performance of our production processes. The scrap rates are way lower than expected, and we are where we want to be much earlier than expected. We have invested massively in onboarding and training engineers and process technicians, and we have built a solid safety and quality culture in a short time. All in all, this foundation holds great promise for the next phase," says Mr Andrew Curry, Production Manager at the CQL.

"We produce batteries, not because it is easy, but because it is hard. Success is all about human capital. This strong result proves we have attracted some outstanding talents, many with deep battery manufacturing experience. Overall, this achievement reflects a combination of excellent production equipment, effective processes, and a capable team," says Morrow CEO Lars Christian Bacher.

The team in Korea is currently working to improve the processes to reduce scrap rates further. The company will produce a few hundred LFP batteries at B-sample stage this summer.

Morrow's CQL is a vital facility that bridges the gap between battery research and mass production. The CQL will have a capacity of 2,000 battery cells per month, which is key to commercialising both the NMC, LFP and the novel LNMO chemistries.

FACTS:

About Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC):
NMC batteries provide high energy density. This chemistry dominates the premium automotive segment, where long-range and fast charging rates are essential. Morrow develops a high-performance NMC battery ready for tomorrow's electric vehicles.

About Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP):
LFP batteries are ideal long lifetime solutions to Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), standard-range cars and commercial transport. Morrow's first product from the Morrow Cell Factory in Norway will be LFP batteries. B-samples are being produced and made ready for customer delivery this summer.