Armenpress had a rare opportunity to visit the main production complex of the Chinese company Gansu Hailiang New Energy Materials Co., Ltd. This company is one of the leading producers of battery materials and specializes in the production of high-quality electrolytic copper foil for lithium-ion batteries. This material is one of the key components of electric vehicle batteries.
The company is located in Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu Province, and is a subsidiary of Hailiang Group. Hailiang Group is one of the largest copper processing companies in China, and Gansu Hailiang is a strategic investment of the group in the field of new energy, aimed at producing materials for electric vehicles and energy storage systems.
During the media tour, representatives of Armenpress and other media outlets had the opportunity to visit the company's research, development, and quality control laboratories. Here, specialists demonstrated how each batch of products undergoes thorough inspection before being delivered to customers. The thickness of the material, chemical composition, and other technical specifications are checked to ensure that it fully meets industry requirements.
The production of ultra-thin copper foil requires a combination of modern technologies and scientific developments. According to company representatives, its thickness is about 30 times thinner than a human hair.
According to them, the company's annual production capacity reaches 150,000 tons.
In the production facilities, one could see huge rolls of copper foil being processed by powerful industrial equipment. They provided a good idea of the actual scale of production.
Despite being only a few micrometers thick, copper foil is a key component of lithium-ion batteries. It serves as a conductive base for the anode, collecting and transferring electrons, as well as providing the anchoring of the active material. Simply put, this thin layer ensures the efficient transfer of electric current within the battery during charging and discharging.
This material is used not only in electric vehicle batteries but also in lithium-ion batteries for smartphones, laptops, and many other electronic devices.
According to the company, its partners include Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers BYD and CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited), which is considered the largest manufacturer of electric vehicle batteries in the world and controls about 40 percent of the global market.
Today, China is the world leader in electric vehicle production: more than 70 percent of electric vehicles produced globally come from China. Therefore, companies like Gansu Hailiang play a crucial role in the global supply chain for clean energy.
A company representative also emphasized the high purity of the copper used in production. He noted that the color of the copper often indicates its quality. High-purity copper is often referred to as “purple copper” because the thin oxide layer that forms on the surface gives it a purple or reddish hue.
“The more purple the hue of the copper, the higher its quality,” the Hailiang representative noted during the tour.
At Hailiang's research center, specialists are working on developing new technologies and improving production processes. The company also actively applies artificial intelligence solutions that help enhance quality control efficiency, optimize production processes, and ensure consistently high product quality.
