September 28, 2017, a groundbreaking ceremony for the lithium-ion battery production base in the Yangtze River Delta of Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL) took place in Jiangsu Zhongguancun Science and Technology Industrial Park.

The total investment in this project, which is being developed on 1,000 mu (roughly 67 hectares) of land, will reach to 10 billion yuan. It will deliver an annual production capacity of about 10GWh of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicle and energy storage system application. The project will increase sales income by 20 billion RMB and create 7,000 jobs.?

Founded in 2011, CATL has developed comprehensive R&D and manufacturing ability systems for EV (electric vehicle) and ESS (energy storage system) batteries, as well as key technologies covering chemical systems, battery cells and packs as well as recycling. CATL has developed win-win partnerships with BMW, SAIC, BAIC, GEELY and Changan by offering BEV and PHEV solutions for the time being.?

“CATL has been at the forefront of the industry, and now we are facing great opportunities for further development,” Dr. Robin Zeng, founder and chairman of CATL, said. When asked about the reasons for establishing a production base in Liyang, he explained: “The Yangtze River Delta features an advanced manufacturing industry, and there are many outstanding new energy vehicle manufacturers. While domestic lithium-ion battery manufacturers are mainly located in North and South China, there is a shortage in Eastern China. The establishment of CATL’s new production base in Liyang will help the company to respond to customer needs faster and better serve customers in the Yangtze River Delta region. Liyang has a good investment environment, and the development of this project will also lead to more industrial parks to make the lithium-ion battery industry bigger, stronger and better.”