July 9: AIM-quoted China Shoto, China's largest producer of back-up lead acid batteries, has successfully initiated its planned move into the renewables sector with the delivery of 40 sets of super-capacitors for solar-energy street lighting in the Beijing Olympic Village.

 

The company, which is already established as a leading supplier of power batteries and back-up batteries to China's booming telecoms market, believes completion of the Olympic contract will pave the way to future sales into the green energy economy.

 

The super-capacitors were manufactured by China Shoto's subsidiary, Nanjing Shuangdeng Sci &Tech Academy in Jiangsu Province, following a tendering process involving two other Chinese competitors. The capacitors have now been installed ahead of next month's Olympic Games to power the Olympic Village solar street lamps.

 

China Shoto's Executive Chairman Cao Guifa said: "Our success in this bid follows development work to produce capacitors that combined low current output with high storage capacity. We are pleased both to be contributing to the environmental objectives of the 2008 Olympics and to have developed a product we believe opens new markets for China Shoto."

 

China is already responsible for a third of the world's solar cell production, and by 2010, hopes to be generating and consuming about 300 megawatts of solar energy, which would position it among the world leaders in the field.