Afujiya teams up with Chinese firm
The companies will invest Rm500mil in plant to make enhanced flooded batteries
KUCHING: ABM Fujiya Bhd (Afujiya) is teaming up with China’s Jujiang Power Technology Co Ltd (Jujiang) in a multi-million ringgit joint venture plant project to manufacture enhanced flooded batteries in Demak Laut Industrial Park here.
Such batteries are for use in idle start stop, hybrid and electric vehicles. Afujiya, via wholly-owned Amalgamated Batteries Manufacturing (Sarawak) Sdn Bhd (ABM Sarawak) and Jujiang plan to invest Rm500mil in the plant project.
Afujiya group now owns five manufacturing plants in Kuching that produce automotive batteries for sales in domestic market and for export to over 50 countries. Jujiang manufactures lead-acid batteries for the domestic and overseas markets.
ABM Sarawak and Jujiang formalised their tie-up with a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed here yesterday. The event was witnessed by Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg.
According to an Afujiya senior official, details of the joint-venture plant project are being fine-tuned. It has yet to be decided when the project would get off the ground and commence operation, and the annual production capacity of the plant.
ABM Sarawak deputy managing director Datuk Alan Tay Tze Poh said the new manufacturing facilities to be built would produce enhanced flooded batteries to cater for energy-efficient vehicles.
He said the production of such batteries would help Malaysia to reduce importing them.
About half of the automotive batteries currently produced by Afujiya are for the export market,
Jujiang chairman Wang Dong said new technology would be introduced to manufacture the enhanced flooded batteries. Jujiang’s current production include flooded batteries.
He said the investment in Sarawak is the beginning for Jujiang to undertake more projects in Malaysia.
In welcoming Jujiang’s investment in Sarawak, Johari said the consumption of such batteries would continue to grow worldwide as more cities are using hybrid cars.
Through the partnership of ABM Sarawak and Jujiang, he urged them to carry out research activities on ways to recycle lithium batteries.
“Sarawak can be a laboratory for the research.if the lithium can be recycled for use in other batteries, this will ensure sustainability,” added Johari.