Electronics giant Sony late August unveiled its S$150 million lithium-ion polymer battery plant in Singapore. The plant was set up in response to what Sony views as a growing worldwide demand for lithium-ion batteries. The 109,600 sqm facility, located within Sony’s existing factory at Tuas, is the company’s first lithium-ion polymer manufacturing plant in Southeast Asia and the only one of its kind in Singapore.
“[The] lithium-ion battery business is one of Sony’s major pillars of growth and we are committed to expanding this business,” said Ryoji Chubachi, president and electronics CEO, Sony Corporation.
The plant, when fully operational in 2010, is targeted to produce approximately 8 million battery cells monthly, about 10 per cent of Sony’s total lithium-ion battery quantity. Batteries produced will mainly be used for cellular phones, while others will end up in laptops, camcorders and other electronic devices.
“Battery technology will continue to improve as the need for smaller, lighter and more powerful portable energy increases,” said Lim Swee Say, minister, prime minister’s office, who was present at the facility’s opening. “This new facility is an excellent example of a capital, knowledge and innovation intensive activity.”
Sony had earlier announced plants to invest ¥40 billion (S$537 million) in its lithium-ion battery production over the next two years. The sum, which does not include the S$150 million put towards the Singapore plant, will be used to upgrade the company’s production facilities in Japan.
The Singapore facility currently has 270 employees, out of which 100 are local engineers who have undergone training in Sony’s lithium-ion battery facilities in Japan. There are plans to increase the headcount to 500 by 2010.
Sony first came to Singapore in 1973, where it established a sales office. The Japanese company has since invested over S$2 billion locally, and its activity in Singapore now spans functions such as that of the regional headquarters, manufacturing, sales and marketing, R&D and logistics.
