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Battery Demand in China to Grow 8.5% Annually

Demand for batteries in China is projected to increase 8.5 percent annually to 282 billion yuan in 2013. Growth will be driven by increasing output of battery-powered products. An ongoing shift in the product mix and a focus in the Chinese manufacturing sector on value-added goods for export will also drive sales of more costly batteries. The export of battery containing products -- in particular cellular phones, laptop computers and other portable devices -- will further spur battery demand in China. These and other trends are presented in Batteries in China, a new study from the Beijing office of The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland-based industry research firm.

Sales of secondary batteries are projected to climb 8.9 percent per annum through 2013 to 256 billion yuan. Rechargeable lithium batteries will strengthen their position as the largest secondary battery product segment. Demand for these batteries will be chiefly influenced by their high-performance attributes -- such as a higher power density ratio and longer product lifespan than traditional lead-acid and nickel-cadmium batteries -- as well as by continuing technical innovation, decreasing prices and increasing exports of products requiring secondary batteries. The portable devices battery market will increase 7.4 percent annually through 2013 to 145.2 billion yuan, remaining the largest of the secondary battery markets. Gains will be supported by rising consumer electronics production and increasing exports. Demand for transportation equipment-related batteries will register the fastest growth -- 12.8 percent per annum through 2013 to 88.0 billion yuan -- benefiting from expanding vehicle production and park. Electric bikes have driven gains in vehicle battery demand in China and are now the largest transportation-related application. In addition, increasing private motor vehicle ownership will drive strong gains in SLI batteries.

Sales of primary batteries will advance 4.9 percent per year to 26.0 billion yuan. Among primary batteries, alkaline types will see demand advance at the fastest pace, overtaking zinc-based batteries by 2013. Alkaline batteries are favored for their greater power and longer lifespan than zinc-carbon/chloride batteries. Zinc-carbon/chloride batteries will see significantly decelerating growth through 2013, an outcome of their lower energy density ratio and a shrinking price gap with alkaline batteries. Consumer applications will comprise more than 60 percent of primary battery sales in China in 2013. Demand for primary batteries in the consumer segment will be fueled by increasing production of and domestic demand for home entertainment and portable devices and the introduction of new primary battery-powered portable devices.

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