The Hindu : Business : TAFE Power inks pact with Chinese company

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Thursday, Dec 02, 2010
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TAFE Power inks pact with Chinese company

Special Correspondent

To produce VRLA batteries at its Maraimalai Nagar facility

CHENNAI: TAFE-Power Source, a constituent of the Rs.7,500-crore Amalgamations Group, has inked a collaboration pact, with B.B. Batter Co. of China to produce value regulated lead acid (VRLA) batteries at its Maraimalai Nagar facility near here. B.B. Battery, a leading maker of VRLA batteries, was established in 1992 by its $10 billion Taiwanese parent company.

Consumers across the globe have placed their faith on brand Best for effectively representing the attribute of reliability in all its applications, says a release.

VRLA batteries are sealed and maintenance-free. They can be used with safety for a wide range of applications, essentially as a DC power back-up, such as inverters, UPS (uninterrupted power system), all telecommunication systems, security systems, solar power systems and medical equipment. Ms. Jayshree Venkatraman, Director, TAFE, & Vice Chairman, AMCO Batteries, said in a release that negotiations for the collaboration had been set in motion a few years ago. Initially, it was decided to market the Best batteries branded as AMCO-BEST. Subsequently, it was decided to import plates and components and assemble batteries locally. “Now, we enter the third phase,” the release quoted her saying.

The third phase would see exclusive production of VRLA batteries with technical collaboration. “This collaboration will embrace technology transfer for production of an entire range of VRLA batteries for marketing under the joint brand name AMCO-Best in India and abroad,” the release added.

TAFE Power Source is already producing VRLA 2-wheeler batteries in its plant, catering to OEMs (original equipment manufacturers). TPS' exclusive plant for VRLA will be a diversification from its established manufacture of flooded lead acid batteries since the last two decades for automotive, stationary and inverter applications with a turnover of nearly Rs. 500 crore.

TAFE Power Source is already catering to a wide range of customers which includes all major automotive OEMs, financial institutions and multinational companies such as American Power Conversion, Emerson Network, Delta Energy and Siemens, to name a few. “This collaboration will see TPS doubling its turnover in the next few years with an investment of Rs.100 crore in two-to-three years,” the release quoted Ms. Jayshree Venkatraman as saying.

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