Sony today announced plans to establish a lithium ion polymer battery plant in Singapore, Sony’s first in South East Asia region. The lithium ion polymer battery plant in Singapore will be highly automated, utilizing cutting-edge equipment and technologies such as the latest Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) applications. Local engineers will be sent to Japan for training to gain the technological knowledge and skills needed to run this highly advanced operation. To be housed on Sony’s existing facility in Tuas, the plant will have a built-up area of about 12,200 square metres. When the plant is fully operational in 2010, it will employ about 500 employees, with a monthly capacity of 8 million units of lithium ion polymer batteries. These batteries, which will be used in cellular phones, will be shipped to Sony customers worldwide. Sony will be investing S$150 million in its lithium ion polymer battery operations in Singapore.The plant is scheduled to start operations in August 2008.
With global demand for mobile products increasing, coupled with the higher performance and enhanced features of products such as cellular phones, digital cameras, camcorders, handheld game machines and portable audio players, demand for high capacity batteries has also risen sharply. With Sony’s latest investment in Singapore to manufacture lithium ion polymer batteries for cellular phones, the company will further expand its lithium ion battery business and be well positioned to meet the global market demand.
