China's Liuzhou Saike Technology Development Co., Ltd. “Liuzhou Saike”) and Ruipu Energy Co., Ltd. “REPT”) on March 24 signed cooperation and investment agreements with local authorities of Liudong New District, Liuzhou to build a power battery and battery system industrial base, according to a post on REPT's WeChat account.

signing agreement; photo credit: REPT

According to the corporate database Tianyancha, Liuzhou Saike is a subsidiary indirectly wholly owned by SAIC Motor, while REPT's controlling shareholder is majority-owned by the Chinese stainless steel producer Tsingshan Holding Group.

Located in Liuzhou city, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the new industrial base involves a total planned investment of 10 billion yuan $1.57 billion) and will cover an area of 1,400mu 933,000 square meters). It will include manufacturing facilities for such core products as cells, battery packs, battery materials, and electrolyte.

Of the aforesaid investment, 5.5 billion yuan $863.422 million) are prepared for two initial projects focusing on cells and battery systems respectively, both of which feature a design production capacity of 20GWh annually.

Upon completion of all projects, the industrial base is expected to output a production value of 20 billion yuan $3.14 billion) each year. It will not only focus on the R&D, production, and sale of cells, battery modules, battery management systems, and power battery packs, but also develop innovative businesses related to CTC cell-to-chassis battery cascade utilization, and battery recycling.

To form a sound NEV battery ecosystem, the Liuzhou base also attempts to introduce suppliers of cathode and anode materials, battery structural parts, separators and electrolyte, and other companies along the upstream and downstream industrial chain.