Exploring future opportunities for lead batteries in Asia

As CBI prepares to launch its new technical program, the Consortium team attended the 18^th Asian Battery Conference (ABC), in Bali, Indonesia - the largest gathering of the lead battery industry in the region.

In a keynote address to the opening session we described our expanding work and membership in Asia, the launch of our ground-breaking new technical program and the opportunities opening up for advanced lead batteries in energy storage applications.

Bali was not the end of our trip however. Meeting up with CBI’s Consultant in China, Dr Tony Tong, the Consortium team visited some of the most important players in the Asian lead battery industry, from battery manufacturers, to associations and materials suppliers. Asia is a major market for lead batteries, particularly in energy storage, where there are a significant number of projects including the world’s highest solar farm is located in Tibet. You can see examples of energy storage projects supported by lead batteries in Asia on CBI’s interactive map.

Our first stop in China was a visit to Tianneng Power International Ltd in Changxing, a city with a rich 1,700-year history known as the home of silk, and a focal point of the Chinese lead battery industry. Tianneng prides itself on being a new energy company, manufacturing motive batteries for electric vehicles, developing smart energy solutions, and engaging in the recycling of resources. CBI has worked with Tianneng in previous technical programs to fund research conducted into the stability of the negative active mass in automotive batteries.

In Puyang, located on the northern shore of the Yellow River, we visited Hua Yang Industry, CBI’s first meeting with this company in China. Hua Yang integrates scientific research, production, sales and services, and supplies AGM separators to the lead battery industry. The visit included a factory tour and updates on the company’s innovative work on research and product development. 

As an industry association, CBI recognizes the importance of working with other regional associations to help promote the role of lead batteries for energy storage and automotive applications. Meeting with CEEIA Lead-Acid Battery Society in Shenyang, we discussed further collaboration between associations and future areas for joint work.

Preparing for the next technical workshop in China

CBI’s last stop was to China’s capital city, Beijing, for meetings with the Asian Battery Association and CNIA – the Chinese Non-Ferrous Industry Association, to discuss the forthcoming CBI China technical workshop scheduled for March next year. (keep an eye on this website for more details)

For two years now, the Consortium has been holding technical workshops in Asia as a counterpart to the US and European technical workshops. Our latest technical workshop, held in Shanghai in March 2019, had record attendance.

CBI is looking forward to hosting the next workshop in 2020, where delegates will not only hear about the progress of the new technical program and CBI’s future work, but will include for the first time, a session on lead production and recycling.