Osaka, July 30, 2008 - (JCN Newswire) - Matsushita Battery Industrial Co., Ltd. (MBI), a consolidated subsidiary of Matsushita Electric Industry Co., Ltd. (MEI [NYSE symbol: MC]) known for its Panasonic brand products, today announced the company's plan to construct a new flagship lithium-ion battery plant in Osaka City. With two other existing manufacturing bases in Osaka Prefecture and Wakayama Prefecture, MBI will integrate the new plant to reinforce the production of rechargeable batteries in Japan.
The new plant will be the main manufacturing site, employing an integrated manufacturing system controlling everything from electrode production, cell assembly and charge-discharge testing to packaging and shipping. Especially, the electrode production facilities will ensure the safety of lithium-ion battery products as well as a safe manufacturing process. The plant will be strategically located in Osaka City to provide logistical advantages when working with its other plants in Osaka and Wakayama Prefectures.
MBI will invest about 100 billion yen in the new plant, which will be built in two phases. The first phase construction will begin in December 2008 with the aim of commencing electrode production in October 2009 and battery cell production in April 2010 with a capacity of 300 million battery cells. When the second phase construction is completed, the new plant will have a total production capacity of about 600 million lithium-ion battery cells per year (50 million cells per month).
In addition, the company plans to invest about 23 billion yen to improve the productivity of the existing two plants. With a total investment of 123 billion yen in these domestic plants, the company aims to firmly establish a global manufacturing system that can satisfy the growing and diversifying global market needs. This requires the cooperating of domestic plants with the overseas plant in Wuxi, China, capable of producing batteries in various varieties and volumes.
Demand for environmentally-friendly, rechargeable batteries shows notable increases not only in major markets like Europe, the U.S. and Japan, but also in emerging markets like BRIC countries, as demand for mobile devices like laptop PCs and cell phones are on the rise.
Making MBI one of the world's top manufacturers of lithium-ion batteries, the plant will help to accelerate the company's growth strategy to meet market needs and take advantage of its technological prowess in manufacturing safe batteries with high energy capacity.
The company aims to build a safe, secure and environmentally-friendly factory by implementing a safe manufacturing environment and maintaining high energy efficiency. The factory aims to reduce CO2 emissions by 30% based on the basic unit* from the level of fiscal year 2009 ending March 2009.
*CO2 emissions/(Consolidated sales/Bank of Japan's corporate goods price index [electrical equipment])
Profile of New Plant
Name: Suminoe Plant (Tentative)
Location: Hirabayashi-Kita, Suminoe Ward, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture
Investment: Approximately 100 Billion Yen
Products: Lithium-ion batteries (cylindrical, prismatic)
Production Capacity: Approximately 600 million battery cells per year at full operation
1st Phase 300 million cells per year (25 million per month)
2nd Phase 300 million cells per year (25 million per month)
Construction: Starting in December 2008
Schedule: Completion of construction of electrode building in June 2009
Start of electrode production in October 2009
Commence to mass produce battery cells (1st phase) in April 2010
Commence to mass produce battery cells (2nd phase) in October 2011
Area space: Approximately 147,000 square meters
Floor space: Approximately 150,000 square meters
About Matsushita Battery Industrial Co., Ltd.
Matsushita Battery Industrial Co., Ltd. is one of the world's leading battery manufacturers with 23 overseas manufacturing companies in 14 countries. The company was established in 1979 by incorporating the battery divisions of its parent, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
Contact:
Akira Kadota
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
International PR
Tel: 03-3578-1237
Fax: 03-3436-6766
Panasonic News Bureau
Tel: 03-3542-6205
Fax: 03-3542-9018
July 30, 2008
Source: Matsushita Battery Industrial Co., Ltd.
Matsushita Battery Industrial Co., Ltd.
From the Japan Corporate News Network
http://www.japancorp.net
Topic: Press release summary
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