October 24, 2019: LEOCH® Battery, China’s fourth largest lead battery maker, plans to open a lithium battery factory with a capacity of 4GW a year, chairman and founder Dong Li told BESB on October 23.
The factory will be sited in eastern China’s Anhui province and its batteries will be used in three main areas: telecoms, data centers and networks; starter batteries and motorcycles; and low-speed EVs, motive and traction applications.
Dong Li says the company intends to place its lithium products alongside its lead, as the newer chemistry gains market share.
“Lithium will take a lot of market share but it will not kill lead for many reasons such as cost, recycling, the environment, and safety,” he said. “The global market now for lead batteries is $45 billion, for lithium it’s $30 billion. I predict that by 2025 lead will be worth around $50 billion, lithium double that, $100 billion.
“For LEOCH®, we will be a company of two arms — lead and lithium. Lead will still take the major part, and at the moment we are not interested in other chemistries as they are more niche.”
As well as adding lithium to its portfolio, Dong Li still wants to give it competition — which it is hoping to achieve with bipolar technology through its work with bipolar firm Gridtential.
“We have invested in Gridtential,” he said. “It’s challenging, but it’s moving. The technology is there and we are going to try to commercialize it in China in EV, hybrid and data centre applications.
“The future, say the next 15 to 20 years, will be 48V bipolar batteries for hybrid vehicles, starter batteries, motive and network applications.”
LEOCH® was officially founded by Dong Li in 1999, so is marking its 20th anniversary.
Based in the southern city of Shenzhen, it has sales in the UK, US, Germany, Spain, Italy, Greece, Singapore, India, Australia, Sri Lanka, Turkey and South Africa, and employs 11,000 people.
Lead battery maker Leoch plans 4GW lithium battery factory in China
About LEOCH®
LEOCH® Battery Corporation is a U.S. subsidiary of LEOCH® International Technology Ltd., one of the fastest-growing global battery manufacturers in the world, with last year’s sales exceeding $2.15 billion. After 25+ years of sustained growth, LEOCH® has established 15 production facilities, which total area, covers 1.32 million square meters. Today, LEOCH® has more than 13,000 employees and an annual production capacity of 26.72GWh per year. LEOCH® has one of the largest and most qualified Research and Development teams among battery manufacturers, with over 1500 R&D engineers and 1000+ international patents. LEOCH® offers solutions for virtually every stationary, critical power, motive power and starting application. Our incomparable range of products include VRLA AGM, Lithium (LiFePO4), GEL, Pure Lead Punched Grid (PLPG), Flooded Tubular Plate (OPzS) and GEL Tubular Plate (OPzV)..
LEOCH® BATTERY CORPORATION
20322 Valencia Circle
Lake Forest, CA 92630
(949) 588-5853
info@leoch.us
