A new Lithium-ion battery manufacturing facility has opened in Thailand under a joint venture between smart energy solutions provider Banpu Next and Singapore-headquartered energy storage solutions provider Durapower.

The DP Next facility has capacity of 15,000 Lithium-ion battery packs each year, catering for, among others, the commercial electric vehicle sector including forklifts, electric trucks, trailers and aircraft tow tractors.

DP Next says the plant has been established to “accelerate electrification and clean transport in the Thai mobility market”, utilising semi-automated intelligent production lines mirroring the technology employed at Durapower’s facilities.

The company says the batteries meet the European requirement for the approval of road electric vehicles (UNECE Regulation 100, Rev 3) and performance testing Standard IEC 62660 for secondary Lithium-ion cells for the propulsion of electric road vehicles. 

DP Next explains 80% of batteries produced at the facility will be sold to the domestic market with the remaining 20% exported to South East Asia, India and the US.

Banpu Next chief executive officer Smittipon Srethapramote says most of the batteries are destined for electric buses and trucks and will help Thailand realise its ambition of “33,000 electric buses and trucks or 40% of registered vehicles on its roads by 2030”.