[🇧🇩] Battery Industry in Bangladesh

[Saif]

Source : https://www.PKDefense.com

Bangladesh is on its way to be self-sufficient in battery production.

 

[Saif]

Bangladesh ventures into lithium battery production

In a momentous development, Bangladesh is venturing into the production of lithium batteries – a move that is poised to revolutionise the country's energy landscape by accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles and enhancing energy storage capabilities. Bangladesh Lithium Battery Limited, an...

www.tbsnews.net

Bangladesh ventures into lithium battery production

Photo_Mumit M

In a momentous development, Bangladesh is venturing into the production of lithium batteries – a move that is poised to revolutionise the country's energy landscape by accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles and enhancing energy storage capabilities.

Bangladesh Lithium Battery Limited, an innovative enterprise, is all set to establish a state-of-the-art plant in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar in Mirsarai, Chattogram.

The ambitious project comes with a substantial investment of Tk600 crore, with Tk332.6 crore being financed by a consortium of banks and non-bank financial institutions, led by Eastern Bank Limited.

This cutting-edge facility will boast an impressive annual capacity of 1 Gigawatt hour (GWh), making it capable of manufacturing high-quality batteries tailored for electric vehicles and energy storage applications such as IPS and UPS systems.

"We are planning to launch production in the first quarter of 2024 as we've already finished the factory's construction works," Mir Masud Kabir, managing director of Bangladesh Lithium Battery Limited, told The Business Standard on Monday.

Kabir said the plant will create a backward linkage to its concurrent electronic vehicle project and will effectively address the current market demand for lithium batteries for energy storage applications.

Lithium will replace lead-acid batteries, which are commonly used in IPS and UPS in Bangladesh.

"Lithium batteries are relatively environment-friendly and have 15 years life compared to one year for lead-acid batteries," said Kabir.

He said he will use global standard technology, a mixture of Korean, Japanese and Chinese in the plant.

Engr Md Kausar Ameer Ali, managing director of the Dhaka Electric Supply Company (Desco), who was present at the loan signing ceremony between the lenders and the entrepreneurs of the plant on Sunday, termed the move a milestone development.

"There are 30-40 lakh 3-wheelers that are run by lead-acid batteries in the country that can be replaced with lithium ones. We want to set up charging points at different places across the country," Ameer Ali told TBS.

He said the same battery-producing company has also established an electric vehicle manufacturing plant at the Bangabandhu Shilpa Nagar, which will significantly cut the prices of an EV in Bangladesh.

To be continued.............​

 

[Saif]

How many electric vehicles can be powered by a 1 GW-hour lithium battery will depend on several factors such as the average battery capacity of an EV and the efficiency of the charging and discharging process, according to Kabir of Bangladesh Lithium Battery Limited.

If an average EV battery capacity is 50 kilowatt-hours (kWh), which is a common size for mid-range electric vehicles, the number of EVs powered by 1 GW-hour will be 20,000.

Some major applications of lithium batteries

Lithium-ion batteries are the primary power source for electric cars, bikes, scooters, and other electric vehicles. They offer high energy density, enabling longer driving ranges and faster charging times compared to other battery technologies.

These batteries power numerous portable electronic devices such as smartphones, laptops, tablets, digital cameras, smartwatches, and portable gaming consoles.

Lithium batteries are used in large-scale energy storage systems, such as grid energy storage, to store renewable energy from sources like solar and wind. These systems help balance power supply and demand, stabilise electrical grids, and provide backup power during outages.

These batteries are commonly used in medical devices like pacemakers, defibrillators, insulin pumps, and portable medical equipment.

Lithium batteries are utilised in spacecraft, satellites, and aeroplanes due to their lightweight nature and high energy density. They power critical systems, including communication, navigation, and emergency equipment.

World's largest producer of lithium batteries

China is the world's largest producer of lithium batteries as it has a strong manufacturing infrastructure and is home to many major battery manufacturers, supplying both domestic and global markets.

South Korea is another major player in lithium battery production. Companies such as LG, Samsung, and SK Innovation are prominent battery manufacturers.

Next comes Japan which has a well-established battery industry, and companies like Panasonic, Sony, and Toshiba have a significant presence in lithium battery production.

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[Saif]

Prospect of Battery Industry In Bangladesh

Battery industry is one of the oldest industries in Bangladesh. It was initiated in early 1950s.

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Prospect of Battery Industry In Bangladesh

Nasimul Kabir
Battery industry is one of the oldest industries in Bangladesh. It was initiated in early 1950s. Passenger and commercial vehicles were the main industries where it had been served initially. After mid 80s, Industrial batteries were started to produced by local manufacturer. Initially all batteries were made of flat plate. Then Tubular plate was introduced for stationary power which actually had a longer life than flat plate battery.

After that there were not much innovation or advancement were seen in this industry for a long time. Later, in 2008 a big change came up by introducing maintenance free (MF) battery in local market. At first, it was served only in telecom operators where this type of specialised batteries were required for heavy duty backup as alternative power solution for their BTS. Later on MF battery was publicly launched by leading battery manufacturer for vehicle industry. Now a day, usage of MF batteries are widely used which is basically AGM technology. In first world countries, GEL technology is widely used for long battery life.

Recently, SAIF POWERTEC LTD has introduced themselves as one of the advanced battery manufacturer in the country in comparing to other traditional manufacturer. They have brought the latest technology in the country which will change the entire perception of the battery. Their enhanced manufacturing technology will bring the change in the market.

As a whole, battery industry of Bangladesh, itself worth of $328 Million. The entire battery industry is serving different sectors as per follows (Appx.): Automotive: 15%, Motorcycle: 2%, EV: 67%, IPS: 4%, Telecom: 11%, and Solar 1%.

The level of competition is high but not everyone is covering all the segments rather smaller ones are focusing some segments, but big players like Rahimafrooz, Hamko, Volvo are covering all the segments. Others are focusing 2 or 3 segments to run their business. Overall vehicle market, Solar and IPS market is served by the local battery manufacturer. Single Cell battery can be produced by only 2/3 manufacturers.

To be continued............​

 

[Saif]

Still, there are a few segments where batteries are forced to import due to not having sufficient stock or not providing quality product in the market. Telecom Operators are in need of specialized battery for their BTS operation. Now a days they are trying different technology. Previously these Operators were used to with AGM technology. Later on Tubular GEL was successfully tested and marketed. Now they are shifting to Li-ion technology. But context of Bangladesh and during price competition, Tubular GEL would be perfect solution. Although Tubular GEL technology is not widely produced in the country. In total the market size of this telecom battery is worth of $ 40 Million. Rahimafrooz is the only successful supplier in this industry. Others are still trying to penetrate. The rest of the batteries are imported.

Easy bike (Tri-wheeler) vehicles are the hottest market in the battery industry. Each vehicle consists of 4-5 batteries and expired within 6-8 months. Currently, more than 1.0 million Easy Bikes are running throughout the country. So the market size is very big and local manufacturers are trying to serve the market but failed to meet the demand. As a result, lots of batteries are coming from China. Total EV Battery market in Bangladesh is worth of $ 220 Million.

Govt. is also encouraging to export battery from Bangladesh. Waving duty and VAT for exporting battery is also promising to grab against the global market. Local labor and logistics are mostly cheaper and skilled in comparing to European or US market. Rules and regulations are also bit flexible to promote the battery industry. In addition, Pioneer companies like Rahimafrooz is exporting batteries to many countries including India, Nepal and EU-US market. So it'll be interesting to see in coming days when mass manufacturers will produce at International Standard to export our batteries.

Battery in Bangladesh has been always very potent if there's a basic quality is maintained. Prospect of the local market has been always penetrable if there's a right approach and market requirement is met properly. In addition, the global market is also open to anyone including Bangladesh. Moreover, Govt. is encouraging to export by giving many facilities and benefits and in coming days there'll be much more facilities will be given to exporters in Bangladesh. So if we can approach with Global Standard quality then those days are not far away when our nation will rule the world in storage power solution.​

 

[Bilal9]

Rahimafrooz is the single most important battery mfr. and exporter in Bangladesh with Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) and Lithium Battery offerings.

 

[Saif]

Rahimafrooz is the single most important battery mfr. and exporter in Bangladesh with Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) and Lithium Battery offerings.

The GoB should offer incentives such as tax exemption/cash incentives to help grow battery industry in Bangladesh. With Govt. support this can become a billion dollar industry in no time.

 

[Bilal9]

The GoB should offer incentives such as tax exemption/cash incentives to help grow battery industry in Bangladesh. With Govt. support this can become a billion dollar industry in no time.

GoB should actually consult the battery exporters on what some of the issues are in various markets, how to solve them and make these exporters become more successful in exports.

For example - we never put non-tariff barriers (NTB) on Indian products but Indian customs (after fed money by Indian battery mfrs.) imposes dumping duty on Bangladeshi batteries made and exported to India by RahimAfrooz and others. This has been going on for more than two decades.

If the impotent AL ministers only had the cajones to impose NTB on Indian exports coming to Bangladesh, you'd see our exports to India rebound.

Some people only understand the use of force.

If the govt. won't do it, then the people will.

I guess #BoycottIndianproducts movement is here to stay.

 

[Saif]

Huawei and Walton team up to produce lithium batteries for mobile towers

Huawei, the Chinese tech conglomerate, and Walton, a Bangladeshi conglomerate, have announced a strategic partnership to produce lithium batteries for telecom base transceiver stations (BTS) in Bangladesh.

www.thedailystar.net

Huawei and Walton team up to produce lithium batteries for mobile towers

Under this collaboration, Walton will manufacture telecommunication lithium batteries aiming for a market launch within 2025.

Huawei, the Chinese tech conglomerate, and Walton, a Bangladeshi conglomerate, have announced a strategic partnership to produce lithium batteries for telecom base transceiver stations (BTS) in Bangladesh. The agreement was formalised at the Huawei Bangladesh Academy in Dhaka on Thursday, with Pan Junfeng, CEO of Huawei Bangladesh, and S M Rezaul Alam, Chairman of Walton Digi-Tech Industries Ltd., signing the contract.

Under this collaboration, Walton will manufacture telecommunication lithium batteries aiming for a market launch within 2025. With an automated production line capable of producing 80,000 units annually, Walton will manage the nationwide sales and after-sales services, while Huawei provides the technical expertise, design support, raw materials, and guidance for the manufacturing process.

According to a press release, the current Bangladeshi market still relies heavily on non-intelligent, low-quality lithium batteries, which pose challenges such as shorter lifespans and the inability to be managed by the Network Management System (NMS). These batteries are also prone to theft, often leading to unplanned network outages and service disruptions. The new high-quality, intelligent batteries produced through this partnership will address these concerns, enhancing operational efficiency, reducing costs, and improving overall network reliability. Moreover, this shift will also reduce carbon emissions, promoting a more green energy solution.

"Lithium battery manufacturing plant will ease the dependency on the current lead acid batteries for telecom industry in Bangladesh which will significantly improve the overall carbon emission," said S M Monjurul Alam Ovee, Managing Director of Walton Digi-Tech Industries Ltd.

Huawei's CEO Pan Junfeng said, "Huawei's lithium batteries serve more than 340 operators in over 170 countries, making up one-third of the global telecom energy field. In the Asia-Pacific region, Huawei's lithium battery market share is 35%."

China's Ambassador to Bangladesh, H.E. Yao Wen said, "At present, a new era of energy revolution is ascending globally. Renewable energy sources such as solar photovoltaic and wind power are replacing traditional fossil energy. Energy storage technology represented by lithium power is crucial to ensure future development."​