Last month Stellar Resources presented at the 2015 International Tin Forum in Shanghai, one of the biggest industry events of the year.
During the Forum there were many interesting and uplifting presentations from tin professionals and experts, including Tianneng Power, one of the two leading Chinese motive battery producers.
In a detailed presentation, Tianneng Power forecast that China’s lead-acid battery industry – which uses tin to reduce corrosion and increase battery life – will rapidly grow over the next few years. The lead-acid battery is the oldest and one of the most trustworthy types of rechargeable battery, and its large power-to-weight ratio and low cost makes it an attractive prospect for use in electric vehicles – an industry which is booming in the Far East.
Tianneng revealed that battery production in China has risen by 55% in the last three years, attributing this surge to the country’s demand for clean power and travel. Ownership of e-bikes for example, which use lead-acid batteries, has now reached a huge 190 million in China; with 30 million being sold last year alone. The ownership of four-wheeled electric vehicles, also powered by lead-acid batteries, has increased as well: doubling to 400,000 in the last two years.
It’s not just clean vehicles that the Chinese are seeking either – but clean energy as well.
In its presentation Tianneng explained how lead-acid industrial batteries are used to store solar and wind-generated power. As the demand for renewable energy is increasing in China, so is the use and production of tin and the lead-acid industrial battery.
Concluding its presentation, Tianneng predicted that the use of tin in the lead-acid battery industry could increase from almost 12,000 tonnes in 2014 to 17,600 in 2018. This is exciting and positive news for Australian tin explorers and developers such as Stellar Resources, with a premium location giving easy-access to the Chinese market.
