Lithium battery maker Ampace, a joint venture of Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd, the world's largest electric vehicle battery maker, and Amperex Technology Limited, a leading producer of lithium-ion batteries, launched on Thursday its latest power storage facility for commercial and industrial use at the ongoing 12th Energy Storage International Conference and Expo in Beijing.
A joint battery cell facility owned by CATL, BAIC and Xiaomi began construction on Tuesday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] On Tuesday, the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, also called Beijing E-town, welcomed Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd, China's largest automotive lithium-ion battery maker, into its fold.
Source: Huaxia Energy The Apr 16 explosion of a lithium battery station in Beijing—resulting in at least two deaths—is the worst accident in China's battery storage sector in recent years. [News report details of the accident] The cause of the explosion is still under investigation.
How big is China's new battery plant?
Once completed, it will cover an area of about 260,000 square meters. Beijing is a key region for innovation and development in China's automotive industry and an important automotive production base, said CATL, the battery maker. They are the plant's controlling shareholder. Other partners include Xiaomi and Beijing Automotive Group Co Ltd.
Did China's Investment hype cloud the development of battery storage?
Notably, the accident took place just two weeks after a fire broke out in an LG Chem battery unit in S. Korea. Safety is one of the chokepoints of the global development of battery storage. In China, the investment hype on electrochemical energy storage in recent years might have clouded the issue.
What is 'Beijing era new energy technology?
Image for representation purposes only. Chinese firms CATL, Beijing Automotive Group Co. (BAIC) and Xiaomi Auto are joining hands to establish a joint venture named 'Beijing Era New Energy Technology Co. Ltd.' to establish a state-of-the-art, intelligent manufacturing facility for battery cells in Beijing.
How much energy storage capacity will China have in 10 years?
The amount suggests energy storage capacity shall rise to 220GW in ten years. Currently, China has an installed capacity of 35.6GW, of which 31.79 GW is pumped hydro, and 3.269 GW is electrochemical storage. Lithium battery contributed 2.9GW, over 90% of the electrochemical capacity.