Chinese battery maker Hithium Energy Storage Technology is prioritizing localized partnerships and strategic regional manufacturing hubs to drive its overseas expansion, reports Caixin.
Speaking at the Summer Davos forum in Dalian, Hithium chairman Wu Zuyu said Chinese companies should learn from the Japanese, South Korean, German and US firms that successfully traded technology for market access in China over the past decades. “An overseas localized layout is a necessary path,” Wu said, noting that China’s massive production capacity cannot rely solely on domestic demand.
Xiamen-based Hithium has been an early mover in establishing manufacturing bases abroad. In May 2025, the company opened a $200 million, 10-gigawatt-hour energy storage system plant in Mesquite, Texas, making it the first Chinese energy storage firm to build a factory in the United States. The company is also targeting Europe. In March, local media reported that Hithium plans to invest 400 million euros ($463 million) to build a battery plant in Spain, which is expected to begin operations in 2027.