Leclanché and Narada Power sign lithium ion technology agreement
Swiss battery-maker Leclanché and Chinese rival Zhejiang Narada Power Source are teaming up to develop lithium-ion technologies for global and Chinese markets. Leclanché will help Narada cheaply manufacture fast charging lithium titanate (LTO) and graphite nickel manganese cobalt (G-NMC) battery storage technologies. Both LTO and G-NMC will be made at Narada's plants in Hangzhou, complementing Leclanché's existing manufacturing in Germany and Switzerland. Leclanché CEO Anil Srivastava said the deal "positions Leclanche and Narada for worldwide leadership in the energy storage markets."

Leclanché will support Narada with technology transfer to achieve low-cost, scale manufacturing of Leclanché’s proprietary high-cycling and fast-charging lithium titanate (LTO) and high energy density graphite nickel manganese cobalt (G-NMC) battery storage technologies.

Swiss battery manufacturer Leclanché SA ( earlier post ) and China-based Zhejiang Narada Power Source Co Ltd, a global battery manufacturer, announced a strategic partnership for the manufacturing and development of lithium-ion battery technology for the Chinese and global markets.

Narada will manufacture both G-NMC and LTO at its facilities in Hangzhou, China, including the opening of its new 2.5 GWh fabrication facility in 2017. This will complement manufacturing at Leclanché’s Willstätt, Germany and Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland sites, providing scale and more competitive costings to achieve best-in-class global pricing to meet the needs of multiple end-markets—including stationary, microgrid, commercial and industrial and electric vehicle applications.

Leveraging the fast-charging and high-cycle capabilities of LTO technology, the alliance will aggressively pursue significant market share in China, the largest electric bus market in the world (estimated at $4 billion by Navigant Research).

Narada will make an equity investment in Leclanché alongside licensing for technology transfer.

This game-changing alliance positions Leclanché and Narada for worldwide leadership in the energy storage market. The alliance will cover the broadest range of battery technologies and systems integration expertise to competitively deliver a full range of energy storage applications across stationary, transport and commercial & industrial markets. &mdashAnil Srivastava, CEO of Leclanché SA;

We are confident that Leclanché’s GNMC and LTO are advanced-class technologies. Through our cooperation we can drive global-leading technology performance. The alliance provides a foundation for expanding our market share in fast-growing sectors including for electric vehicles, renewable energy integration and telecom. Through our equity investment, Leclanché becomes Narada’s strategic systems integration partner which is well-placed to enhance our ability to offer integrated energy storage solutions worldwide. I am confident that this alliance will grow to be a world leader in energy storage. —Bo Chen, president of Narada

Detailed terms will not be disclosed until the execution of definitive agreements, expected on or around 31 December 2016. Alexa Capital LLP is advising Leclanché on the transaction.