LG Chem, a major South Korean chemical company, is ramping up its push into the global solar film materials market through a strategic partnership with Chinese solar equipment maker Jinweier Intelligent Equipment (金韦尔智能装备).
The company aims to boost both profitability and sustainability by promoting high-value materials such as polyolefin elastomers (POE).
According to LG Chem on June 30, the company signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Jinweier at the SNEC 2025 International Photovoltaic Power Generation Conference held in Shanghai.
Jinweier is a leading player in China’s solar film production equipment sector and supplies machinery to major solar module manufacturers.
The partnership focuses on co-developing customized products based on existing materials. LG Chem will supply POE and ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) resins from its plant in Daesan, South Korea, while Jinweier will use its film extrusion and lamination technologies to support tailored production.
The collaboration aims to optimize material formulations based on key performance requirements—such as heat resistance, moisture protection, and light transmittance—requested by solar module manufacturers.
By teaming up with Jinweier, LG Chem intends to strengthen its foothold in the Chinese market through a localized supply model, while maintaining its technological edge in high-performance materials.
The alliance is also expected to help LG Chem better align with local customer needs and respond more quickly to market dynamics, thanks to Jinweier’s network and equipment capabilities.
POE and EVA are high-value, eco-friendly materials widely used in the solar industry. POE, in particular, is a high-performance synthetic resin with both rubber- and plastic-like properties.
It is also used in automotive parts, wire and cable coatings, and footwear cushioning. Recently, POE has gained popularity in solar films due to its excellent insulation and moisture barrier performance, which help protect solar panels from environmental damage and minimize power loss.
As part of its strategy to counter slowing profitability in its petrochemical business, LG Chem is positioning POE as a next-generation growth driver.
The company has invested approximately $206 million since 2021 to expand POE production capacity at its Daesan facility to 390000 tons annually. Commercial production of the newly added 100000-ton capacity began at the end of 2023.
