ZBB能源公司将通过设立合资公司的方式进入中国市场，并将在中国制造电池以及电子产品。
合资公司将在安徽省芜湖市设立一家工厂，并计划于2012年初投入使用。 合资公司将使Menomonee Falls-based ZBB公司的能量管理和储能产品在中国快速增长的市场中占据一席之地。合资公司的合作伙伴为：ZBB PowerSav控股有限公司，安徽鑫龙电气股份有限公司，芜湖华瑞输变电工程有限公司。
ZBB Energy Corp. will enter the China market with a joint venture that will produce batteries and electronics products.
The joint venture company will open a factory in the city of Wuhu in Anhui Province, with plans to start operations in early 2012.
The joint venture will enable Menomonee Falls-based ZBB to tap a strong growth market for power management and energy storage products.
“The opportunity and demand in China for our products is tremendous,” said Eric Apfelbach, chief executive. “Our joint venture with these three partners will enable the penetration of both our flow battery and power electronics products by giving us channel access to China’s grid companies.”
Partners in the joint venture include ZBB PowerSav Holdings Limited, Anhui Xinlong Electrical Co. and Wuhu Huarui Power Transmission & Transformation Engineering Co.
ZBB and PowerSav have been working for more than a year to identify paths to enter the China market, and in the process eva luated more than 75 potential joint venture partners and 25 cities and governments with which to work.
ZBB will have a 33% stake in the China joint venture company but said it will maintain control through its board of directors positions.
ZBB is providing a licensing agreement and is contributing its technology to the joint venture, with that investment valued at $4 million. The total cash and technology capital investments are valued at about $13.4 million.
The Chinese market potential is considerable not only because of the company’s population but because of other factors including the instability of the power grid as well as the government’s interest in reducing emissions from diesel-powered generators.
ZBB has developed an energy storage systems that can pair with renewable energy or energy from the power grid to keep power flowing when wind or solar power isn’t available, or when the power from the grid isn’t available.
The Chinese joint venture company will have an exclusive, royalty-free license to produce and sell zinc bromide flow batteries, as well as the power and energy control center in mainland China, ZBB said. In addition it will have a nonexclusive license to produce and distribute those products in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
该新闻已收录在《储能产业趋势》2011年8月刊。