Storage batteries have a long history and mature technology, and they have advantages in power characteristics, high and low temperature performance, assembly consistency, recyclability, and price. Therefore, in the short term, storage batteries cannot be replaced by other battery products.
Analysis of the Current Development Status of the Battery Industry
With the promotion of cleaner production and the accelerated pace of technological advancements and adoption of international standards in China's battery industry, the quality of battery products has been continuously improving over the past decade. It can be said that the differences in product quality among companies are gradually narrowing, and the overall quality level has reached that of similar international products. However, objectively speaking, there is still a significant gap between our products and those of advanced industrialized countries in terms of quality stability and consistency.
Statistical Analysis of China's Battery Production
According to the "Market Outlook and Investment Strategy Planning Analysis Report on the Lead-Acid Battery Industry" released by the Qianzhan Industry Research Institute, my country's lead-acid battery production was 220.7 million kVAh in 2014. From January to October 2015, my country's lead-acid battery production was 166.51 million kVAh. my country's lead-acid battery production is projected to reach 223.81 million kVAh in 2017 and 232.76 million kVAh in 2018. The average annual compound growth rate for the next five years (2017-2021) is estimated at approximately 4.02%, with my country's lead-acid battery production expected to reach 262.06 million kVAh by 2021.
Statistics and Forecast of my country's Lead-acid Battery Production, 2014-2021
Data source: Compiled by Qianzhan Industry Research Institute
The industry presents three major development advantages
1. Performance Comparison Advantages. Currently, the main industrialized rechargeable batteries include lead-acid batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, and lithium-ion batteries. Nickel-cadmium batteries contain the highly toxic element cadmium and have been gradually replaced by other batteries. Currently, the most widely used batteries on the market are lead-acid batteries, lithium-ion batteries, and nickel-metal hydride batteries. Analysis of the current state of the battery industry shows that, compared to other rechargeable batteries, lead-acid batteries have the following performance advantages: A. They have the longest history of industrial production and the most mature technology, offering stable, reliable performance and good applicability; B. They use dilute sulfuric acid as the electrolyte, are non-flammable, and are designed for normal or low voltage operation, ensuring good safety; C. They have a higher operating voltage and a wider operating temperature range, making them suitable for high-rate discharge applications such as hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs); D. They can be used for float charging, exhibiting excellent shallow charge and discharge performance, making them suitable for uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), new energy storage, and grid peak shaving and valley filling; E. Large-capacity battery technology is mature, enabling the production of batteries with capacities of several thousand ampere-hours, facilitating large-scale energy storage.
2. Cost Comparison Advantage
An analysis of the current state of the battery industry reveals that lead-acid batteries are the cheapest rechargeable batteries, with a unit energy price that is about one-third that of lithium-ion or nickel-metal hydride batteries. Furthermore, the main components of lead-acid batteries are lead and lead compounds, with lead content reaching over 60% of the total battery mass. The residual value of used batteries is relatively high, with recycling prices exceeding 30% of those of new batteries. Therefore, the overall cost of lead-acid batteries is lower.
3. Comparative advantages of recycling
Lead-acid batteries are simple in composition, have mature regeneration technology, and high recycling value, making them the easiest type of battery to recycle and reuse. Global recycled lead production has exceeded primary lead production, with the US achieving a lead reuse rate of over 98.5% for waste lead-acid batteries, and my country achieving over 90%. Nickel-cadmium (CdC), nickel-metal hydride (NiMH), and lithium-ion batteries are mostly small batteries with complex compositions, resulting in high regeneration costs and significant recycling difficulties, hindering the market-based operation of their recycling industry. Currently, the global average recycling rate for these batteries is less than 20%, especially for lithium-ion batteries, where most countries have not yet achieved effective recycling and reuse.
Storage batteries have a long history and mature technology, offering advantages in power characteristics, high and low temperature performance, assembly consistency, recyclability, and price. Analysis of the current state of the storage battery industry shows that storage batteries hold the largest market share and are the most widely used chemical battery product. There are currently no mature alternatives in applications such as internal combustion engine starting and large-scale energy storage. Therefore, in the short term, storage batteries cannot be replaced by other battery products.
