Lotte Energy Materials said on the 3rd that, on a consolidation basis, fourth-quarter revenue came to 170.9 billion won and it recorded an operating loss of 33.8 billion won. Revenue fell 8.3% from a year earlier, but the loss narrowed by 15.6%.
Full-year revenue and operating loss stood at 677.5 billion won and 145.2 billion won, respectively. Revenue fell 24.9% from a year earlier, and the loss also widened. Net loss for the same period turned to a loss of 162.2 billion won.
The company said sales volume was sluggish due to weakness in downstream industries.
Lotte Energy Materials plans to improve earnings in response to demand for artificial intelligence (AI). First, by 2027 it will convert the Iksan plant 100% to circuit board lines to meet demand for high value-added circuit boards for AI.
A Lotte Energy Materials official said, "We expect related revenue to grow by about 2.6 times or more through the supply of network circuit boards for AI," and added, "Supply of HVLP4 products for next-generation AI accelerators is proceeding smoothly in collaboration with domestic clients, and we plan mass production supply according to clients' product launch schedules."
High-end copper foil for batteries has been exclusively selected for ESS use by a North American joint-venture client and is nearing mass production. The solid electrolyte business for solid-state batteries is under review for capacity expansion on a 1 gigawatt-hour (GWh) scale through cooperation with major corporations.
Chief Executive Kim Yeonseop of Lotte Energy Materials said, "We will focus our capabilities on expanding revenue from the AI circuit board business and securing the market first through standardizing high-end copper foil products as the industry norm."