Guangzhou's Great Power Battery Co Ltd won a gold prize at the 19th National Invention Exhibition in Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi province, in early September.

What earned Great Power the prize was the company's nonaqueous electrolyte device that limits discharge of lithium-ion batteries without a protection circuit.

The batteries with patented technology have been industrialized at the firm's operations in the Pearl River Delta cities of Guangzhou and Zhuhai. They are used in power tools, electric bicycles, safety lamps and lighting systems.

"The prize marks another achievement from our ceaseless efforts to enhance independent innovation and R&D," said Xia Xinde, president of Great Power.

Founded in 1994, Great Power is now one of the largest battery makers in China and among the nation's few that offer a full range of batteries.

The firm's factories in Guangzhou and Zhuhai, covering a total of 180,000 square meters, can produce more than 700,000 batteries daily.

Its products made in Guangzhou include Ni-Mh, lithium-manganese and lithium-thionyl-chloride batteries as well as chargers, LED lamps and flashlights

The company makes li-ion, polymer li-ion and LiFeP04 batteries in Zhuhai.

Its products have found a ready market in more than 50 countries and regions worldwide including the United States, Germany, Japan, Canada, Colombia, Turkey, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

"Great Power believes innovation is the soul of development and the core guideline of management - we boast a strong R&D force and state-of-the-art research facilities," Xia said.

According to the president, the firm has more than 120 senior technicians including professors and doctor's degree holders.

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The company has five comprehensive labs in addition to a post-doctoral research station with Tianjin University and a rechargeable battery research center, which is a joint project with the municipal government of Guangzhou.

By using the latest technology in new products, Great Power has strengthened its national leadership of the battery industry. The firm has also joined forces with several universities including Guangzhou-based Sun Yat-sen University and Central South University in Hunan province.

Xia added that an intellectual property lawsuit in Europe in 2008 that Great Power won taught his firm a valuable lesson. It now emphasizes on patent applications.

The company now has 10 national invention patents and has filed for more than 30 other invention patents and 10 new practical patents.