Anhui Project of HK-Listed Battery Firm CALB Completes First Product Batch

Chinese battery manufacturer CALB, which was recently listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, announced on October 8 that the first batch of products from a project worth 24.8 billion yuan ($3.49 billion) in Hefei, Anhui Province, have rolled off the production line.

The medium-nickel, high-pressure, ternary high-end battery, which has now been successfully produced, has been developed for the 600+ km vehicle range. Based on the company’s innovative laminated battery technology, the product has high specific energy, long life and high endurance, and it supports fast charging.

The Hefei project covers an area of 1,250 mu (83 hectares) and will have an annual capacity of 50GWh for lithium-ion power batteries and energy storage systems after completion. The first phase of the project started production on October 8, and the second phase is scheduled to start at the end of this year. The third phase of the project is planned to have an annual capacity of 10GWh and a total investment of 3.5 billion yuan.

The Hefei project has also promoted the development of the city’s new energy industry. At present, the city has gathered more than 300 enterprises. From January to August, the city’s new energy vehicle output reached more than 90,000 units, a year-on-year growth rate of 44%.

Currently, CALB is the third-largest battery producer in China, after CATL and BYD. According to the China Automotive Power Battery Industry Innovation Alliance, in the first eight months of this year, the installed capacity of CALB reached 11.38 GWh, acquiring a 7.02% market share. The company’s prospectus revealed that it expects to have 30 GWh of installed capacity in 2022 and 80 GWh in 2023.

CALB pioneered the non-fire technology of high energy density battery systems, and achieved thermal suppression technology through the innovation of cell material systems. The “magazine battery” incubated by this technology became the industry’s first ternary battery to pass the pinprick non-fire test, while the lithium iron phosphate cell passed the gunnery limit test.

SEE ALSO: CALB to Launch New Battery With Longer Cruising Range

Through high-voltage technology, the energy density of the medium-nickel high-voltage 5 series battery of CALB has reached 260 watt-hours/kg. The energy density of the 6 series battery product has also reached 280 watt-hours/kg, supporting EVs to have a cruising range of up to 800 kilometers.

CALB is also actively exploring next-generation battery technology. The company has now developed a lithium-sulfur battery with an energy density of 420 watt-hours/kg, which is expected to reach 500 watt-hours/kg by 2023, which could easily give EVs a range of more than 1,000 kilometers. In addition, it has invested heavily in ultra-high voltage cathode materials, high-capacity lithium supplement materials, and non-lithium multivalent ion cathode materials.