Recently, representatives of the Advanced Lead Acid Battery Consortium traveled to Beijing to meet with Chinese members and partner with Batteries and Energy Storage Technology (BEST) Magazine in the first annual Sino Lead Acid Battery Summit for the Chinese battery industry. The venture represents the ALABC’s latest efforts to reach out and discuss the current state of the industry with current and prospective member battery companies in the China region.
Membership Meeting Creates Dialog, New Opportunities
On the day prior to the Sino event, ALABC representatives met with delegates from Chinese members Shandong Sacred Sun, Narada Power Source, Camel Group, and Shuangdeng Group, as well as Chinese representatives from other member companies. The meeting began with a brief introduction by Program Manager Dr. Boris Monahov, who presented an update on the state of the current ALABC research program. Then, after each member company in attendance provided their own presentation on current products and research initiatives, Dr. Monahov led an intense discussion on technical topics and project proposals for the upcoming 2013-2015 ALABC program.
All members contributed significant input and the discussion yielded positive proposals for consideration. Among the areas of study under discussion were the addition of carbon to battery electrolyte, more efficient pulse charge, additives to reduce sulfation, and improving working temperature range.
The meeting concluded with a preliminary meeting of the Consortium’s Asian Public Affairs and Marketing (APAM) Committee, in which Martin van Leeuwen of Nyrstar and Chip Bremer of the ALABC outlined initiatives for the committee for the coming year. As discussion centered around how to address the needs of the evolving Chinese market, more thought was given to the working processes of the committee and how better to coordinate messaging.
Sino LAB Event Draws Widespread Attention from Chinese Battery Industry
ALABC’s participation in the Sino Lead Acid Battery Summit was an opportunity for the Consortium to partner with BEST Magazine and the China Industrial Association of Power Sources (CIAPS) to promote and implement a unique event designed to discuss the latest achievements in developing and demonstrating advanced lead-acid and lead-carbon batteries. Over 200 representatives from Chinese lead-acid battery producers and suppliers from more than 70 companies attended this open meeting, free-of-charge, to discuss the state of the industry and current battery market trends.
Current ALABC President David Wilson addressed attendees on the first day with a presentation on global lead-acid battery markets, and Dr. Geoffrey May of Focus Consulting followed with a discussion of how lead-acid batteries are competing in various markets. Then, Dr. Monahov offered a presentation on the ALABC program and what it has done to advance the state of lead-acid and lead-carbon batteries, and European ALABC Projects Coordinator Allan Cooper followed with a discussion of some of the Consortium’s recent demonstration projects, including the LC Super Hybrid. Follow-up presentations were then given by Dr. Chuanqi Tao of AVL China on hybrid electric vehicle development and by Wu Xianzhang of Narada on the development and technological innovation of lead-acid batteries in China.
The second day included various presentations on behalf of the Chinese battery industry and regulatory bodies. After a brief introduction by Liu Baosheng, Vice President of CIAPS and Vice President of Chinese battery manufacturer Fengfan, talks were given by the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Ministry of Environmental Protection on the interpretation of specific rules and guidelines set forth by the government to regulate the industry. For the remainder of the day, presentations on industry topics were given by: Dr. Hu Xinguo of the Harbin Institute of Technology, Yoshiaki Yamaguchi of GS Yuasa, Xiang Jiayuan of Narada, Tang Shengqun of Zibo Torch Energy, Chai Shusong of Yangzhou Apollo Storage, Zhang Huanong of Shenzhen Central Power, Kong Delong of Shengyang Sacred Sun, Chen Yingming of CEMT, and Anhui Auly of Machinery Technology.
In addition to providing presentations for the first day of the event, the ALABC was also invited to exhibit (along with several other businesses) at the conference exhibit hall during the two-day event. Other exhibitors included companies such as BM Rosendahl, Daramic China, Digatron, Glatfelter, Inbatec, Sovema, and Wirtz, and each were given time to address conference attendees during the first day of the event.
A Step Forward
For the ALABC, the Sino Lead Acid Battery Summit provided a unique opportunity to bridge the geographical and lingual barriers between the eastern and western regions to discuss the latest advancements in lead-acid battery technology, present the latest achievements of the Consortium, and generate interest in membership. To those ends, the event proved a dramatic success and one that may very well open the doors to further cooperation and new partnerships with the Chinese battery community.
