Market demand data for soft-pack lithium-ion batteries

At present, the mainstream commercial lithium-ion batteries are mainly divided into three categories according to the package form: soft pack, square and cylinder, the internal composition of the soft-packed lithium battery (positive electrode, negative electrode, separator, electrolyte) is not much different from that of square and cylindrical lithium batteries, the biggest difference is that the soft-packed battery uses aluminum-plastic composite film as the outer casing, and the square and cylindrical battery uses metal. The material acts as a casing.

The soft pack battery is different from the shell material of the square and cylindrical batteries, which determines the packaging method is different. The soft-clad cells are packaged in a thermal package, while the metal-shell cells are typically sealed by soldering (laser welding).

The reason why the soft pack battery is thermally packaged is that it uses an aluminum plastic packaging film material, which is usually divided into three layers, that is, an outer resist layer (generally an outer protective layer composed of nylon BOPA or PET) and a barrier layer (intermediate layer aluminum foil) and inner layer (multifunctional high barrier layer).

The soft-packed lithium ion battery mainly includes: aluminum plastic film forming, top sealing and side sealing, liquid injection and pre-sealing, chemical formation and shaping, exhaust and two sealing, trimming and folding.

Soft pack battery main process diagram

Soft pack batteries have the following advantages due to their specific packaging materials and construction:

1) Good safety: the soft pack battery is packaged in aluminum plastic film in the structure. In the case of safety hazard, the soft pack battery generally first blows air, or splits from the seal to release energy, while the metal shell battery core is easier. An explosion occurs when a large internal pressure is generated.

2) High specific energy: The weight of the soft pack battery is 40% lighter than the steel shell battery of the same capacity, 20% lighter than the aluminum shell battery, so it has higher mass specific energy; the soft pack battery has the same capacity as the steel shell battery capacity of the same size. It is 10-15% higher than the aluminum shell battery, and the volume ratio energy is also higher.

3) Good electrochemical performance and long life: the internal resistance of the soft pack battery is small, which can greatly reduce the self-consumption of the battery; in addition, the soft pack battery has a longer cycle life.

4) Flexible design: The size and shape of the soft pack battery can be customized according to the customer's needs, and a new battery model is developed. The insufficiency of the soft pack battery: poor consistency, high cost, easy liquid leakage and flatulence, and additional housing required in the group process, the PACK process is highly complex.

Market trend: demand continues to grow, penetration is expected to accelerate

Market situation

Demand for lithium batteries has maintained high growth. According to the starting point of research on SPIR statistics, in 2016 China's lithium battery 3C digital category accounted for 52% of total lithium battery production. In the first half of 2017, China's lithium battery 3C digital category accounted for 41% of total output, while the power category increased from 43% in 2016 to 55% in the first half of the year. It is estimated that by 2020, the total demand for lithium batteries in China will reach 143GWh, and the CAGR for 27 years will reach 27%. The demand for power batteries is expected to reach 94.5GWh, accounting for 66%. New energy vehicles will become the strongest growth demand for lithium batteries driving force.

From the perspective of battery type, the output of China's cylindrical, soft-pack and square lithium batteries in 2016 was 13.92GWh, 22.99GWh and 26.64GWh, respectively, accounting for 21.9%, 36.2% and 41.9% respectively. Among them, square batteries have grown rapidly, mainly due to the explosive growth of domestic electric vehicles.

New energy vehicle field

The explosive growth of new energy vehicles, the high energy density and high safety requirements of power batteries have led to an increase in the penetration rate of soft pack batteries. In 2016, China's power battery shipments are about 30GWh. It is estimated that by 2020, China's power battery demand will reach 94.5GWh. In 2016, the flexible packaging lithium battery only accounted for 10% of the total power battery, the penetration rate is relatively low, and there is much room for growth in the future.

According to the analysis of the statistics of 50 domestic power battery companies, the number of enterprises deploying soft pack batteries reached 29, much higher than square and cylindrical batteries. With the release of soft pack battery capacity, more auto companies will turn their attention to soft pack batteries.

The high energy density and high safety trend of power batteries will increase the permeability of soft pack batteries. According to the "Long-term Development Plan for the Automobile Industry", by 2020, the specific energy requirement of the power battery unit will reach 300Wh/kg, and strive to achieve 350Wh/kg, and the system will strive to reach 260Wh/kg.

Ternary batteries, especially high-nickel ternary batteries, have become the development direction of power batteries. By 2020, the demand for power batteries using ternary materials is expected to rise to 71.6GWh, accounting for more than 70% from the current 22%. However, the higher the proportion of nickel containing ternary materials, the worse the stability, resulting in more difficult battery design, at present, there are many lithium iron phosphates in square batteries, and ternary materials are mostly used in soft pack batteries.

The advantages of soft pack batteries are light weight, good safety performance, high energy density and high safety of power batteries, and it is expected to accelerate the penetration of soft pack batteries in the new energy vehicle market.

3C consumer electronics

3C consumer demand supported the steady growth of soft pack batteries. Most of the soft pack batteries are used in the consumer electronics field, mainly 3C (computer, mobile phone, camera) digital products. At present, China's consumer electronics industry has developed very mature. In terms of mobile phones, the output in 2016 was 21 million, an increase of 13.6%. The market for emerging electronic products such as wearable devices, electronic cigarettes, and wireless bluetooth speakers is promising, with an expected growth rate of 150%. In addition, the drone market is in the process of introduction, and it may become a new growth point in the digital battery field in the future.

The 3C digital soft pack has a high penetration rate, but there is still room. In 2010, China's consumer soft-pack lithium battery demand was only 0.9GWh, which has maintained steady growth for many years. It is expected to reach 21.5GWh in 2017, and the penetration rate will increase from 11% to 69%. The shape and structure design of the soft pack battery is more flexible, and the volumetric energy density is higher, which is more in line with the demand of consumer lithium batteries. It is expected that the penetration rate of soft pack batteries in digital consumption is expected as the soft pack batteries are more recognized by the downstream market. Further improve. It is estimated that by 2020, the proportion of soft-package batteries in the total number of digital batteries is expected to reach 29.4GWh, with a share of 77%.

Total demand forecast

Power battery demand and penetration rate go hand in hand, 3C consumer category is growing steadily, total demand for soft pack battery is expected to reach 67GWh by 2020, 35% CAGR for 3 years, and the market size is expected to exceed 50 billion.

Competitive landscape: many domestic enterprises accelerate the layout

Soft-packed power battery layout: Foreign companies have obvious advantages, and many domestic enterprises accelerate their layout. The first echelon of global soft pack power lithium battery technology is mainly Japanese and Korean companies, and many domestic enterprises. Foreign leading soft-package power battery companies include LG Chem, AESC, SKI, etc. Domestic companies include Fueng Technology, Wanxiang A123, Weihong Power, CITIC Guoan Meng Gu Li, Tianjin Jiewei, Ha Guangyu, Beijing Guoneng, and Yi Lai Lineng, Penghui Energy, Ka Nai New Energy, etc.

According to the statistical analysis of 50 domestic power battery companies, the number of enterprises deploying soft pack batteries reached 29. According to incomplete statistics, by the end of 2017, the capacity of the top ten soft-package power battery companies will be close to 38GWh. Compared with the pattern of overseas chemical monopoly, the domestic soft pack battery industry has more participating enterprises and the competition pattern is relatively scattered.

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