Ultra-Force Battery Opens Plant

Ultra-Force Battery Co. (UFBC), a subsidiary of BAT International (San Diego), recently completed a new battery manufacturing plant in Hyderabad, India. The new plant has 2 million amp hours of production capacity to manufacture fiber nickel electrode batteries.The company also announced that UFBC has formed Ultra-Force Battery Ltd. (UFBL), which is a joint venture with HBL Ltd., the largest manufacturer of NiCd and other specialty batteries in India. UFBL will be targeting initial distribution efforts at an existing HBL market base of military, industrial and telecommunication customers in South Asia that require high quality and reliability in battery and power supply systems. The battery plant is jointly managed by UFBC and HBL, and is 51 percent owned by UFBC.According to BAT, initial batteries off the production line have been sent out to prospective customers for testing and evaluation. Full production from the plant is expected starting at the end of February 2000. Current manufacturing focus is on nickel cadmium (NiCd) sealed cells, with future production plans for NiMH sealed cells.The company claims that the battery technology is ideal for several high growth markets such as telecommunications, military applications, hybrid vehicles and as a "peaking" battery for fuel cells.