Chinese, Bangladeshi companies sign contract for lithium battery production

DHAKA, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese company Huawei and Bangladeshi latest multinational brand Walton have signed a contract to produce lithium batteries in Bangladesh for telecom Base Transceiver Station (BTS) to make the country greener.

Pan Junfeng, president of Huawei South Asia Region and chief executive officer of Huawei Bangladesh, and S M Rezaul Alam, chairman of Walton Digi-Tech Industries Ltd., signed the contract here Thursday.

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen and Managing Director of Walton Digi-Tech Industries Ltd. S M Monjurul Alam Ovee along with around 30 carrier representatives were also present at the event.

Under this agreement, Walton will manufacture telecommunication lithium batteries in Bangladesh and launch the market in the next seven (approximately) months.

They will build an advanced fully automated production line with 80,000 pieces yearly capacity, and manage sales and after-sales services nationwide in Bangladesh. Huawei will provide technical support, design expertise, raw materials, and guidance for manufacturing these lithium batteries.

Lithium-ion batteries boast nearly 100 percent efficiency, longer lifespans, and require less maintenance. They are also more environmentally friendly when it comes to recycling. Thus, lithium batteries as BTS tower power backup have become a consensus in the industry. However, in the Bangladesh market, low-quality non-intelligent lithium batteries are still widely used.

This agreement and upcoming intelligent high-quality battery production will help the telecom industry significantly by saving costs and improving operational efficiency and hazard recovery. In addition, it will help Bangladesh to meet the global carbon emissions' reduction target.

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 percent, Pan said, adding that Walton is the latest multinational brand in Bangladesh, specializing in electrical, electronics, automobiles, and other appliances.

"Now Huawei has reached a strategic cooperation agreement with Walton to produce lithium batteries in Bangladesh. I am confident that our collaboration will drive innovation, create opportunities, and set a high standard for success," Pan added.

For his part, S M Monjurul Alam Ovee said the establishment of a state-of-the-art lithium battery manufacturing plant will ease the dependency on the current lead acid batteries for the telecom industry in Bangladesh, which will significantly help reduce the overall carbon emission.

"With Huawei's globally acclaimed technologies, we can propel the lithium battery industry for a greener country," he added.

Noting that renewable energy sources such as solar photovoltaic and wind power are replacing traditional fossil energy, Yao said energy storage technology represented by lithium power is crucial to ensure future development. Today's partnership between Huawei and Walton is an important step in this process.

"I'm convinced that the cooperation between the two sides will further drive upstream and downstream investment in Bangladesh's new energy industry, promote employment, expand exports, and benefit Bangladeshi people," he added.