US automotive battery supplier Johnson Controls announced on Tuesday that it will invest US$90 million to build a lead acid battery production facility in China.

Construction of the plant, to be located in China's green-power energy industrial center in Changxing Economic Development Zone, Zhejiang province, is scheduled to start in January 2009, the US company said in a statement.

The production facility, when completed in June 2010, will have an annual production capacity of 4 million automotive batteries.

By using Johnson Controls' PowerFrame technology, the plant can reduce pollutant emissions, consume 20 percent to 30 percent less energy than other similar processes, cut lead emissions and improve the quality and performance of batteries.

"China's demand for cars is rising rapidly every year, making the country one of the world's major automobile markets. As a world leader in automotive battery technology, we plan to introduce the most advanced technologies to China, while also offering solutions that can help China better meet its energy and environmental protection needs," Shu Yang, vice president and general manager of Johnson Controls' Power Solutions business in Asia, said in a statement.

(China Daily December 16, 2008)