October 25, 2025: A subsidiary of South Korea’s SM Group is developing a lead acid BESS range to complement its existing lithium energy storage systems.

SM Bexel Battery Division said on October 20 it had secured technology to produce long-cycle, large capacity BESS systems using lead batteries for sale in domestic and global markets.

SM said lead batteries offered excellent safety and cost efficiency, are easy to recycle and have a long lifespan. Another key benefit is that lead batteries are less prone to thermal runaway, in contrast to their lithium counterparts.

Technology to be used by SM involves applying activated carbon to the electrodes of lead acid batteries to minimize the formation of lead sulfate, significantly extending battery life, the company said.

With this technology, the lifespan of ESS batteries, which was previously around seven years, is expected to improve to about 10 years.

SM is also applying biomass activated carbon using a surface modification technology developed by a team led by Kim Woong-am, who is a professor at South Korea’s Chonnam National University’s Department of Polymer Convergence Materials Engineering. The firm said the solution also achieves cost efficiency by replacing expensive imported activated carbon.

Choi Se-hwan, CEO of the battery division, said a mix of battery technologies was essential for a company looking to survive and thrive in the energy storage sector.

“We aim to gain a competitive edge with technology that ensures both safety and eco-friendliness,” he said.

“We will further expand our presence in domestic and international markets with ESS technology based on lead acid and lithium ion batteries.”