Matsushita to build rechargeable battery plant in Osaka

ntttttttttttt

Matsushita Electrical Industrial Co said Wednesday it plans to build a 100 billion yen lithium-ion battery plant in Osaka. The electronics maker already has two nearby battery plants, but the new factory will become the main site with annual production capacity of 600 million batteries. The company said it needs to beef up its production of rechargeable batteries in Japan.

The new plant is expected to boost Matsushita’s ability to compete with market leaders Sanyo Electric Co and Sony Corp amid growing demand for rechargeable power sources commonly used in mobile phones, laptop PCs and digital cameras. Matsushita said demand for rechargeable batteries is growing because of ecological concerns around the world.