Already patented in Hong Kong and on the Chinese mainland, the AquaCell looks set to shake up the worldwide battery market with a non-toxic, highly recyclable power cell. Niels Bakker, the Dutch founder of Hong Kong-based Hippo Batteries Ltd, explains how the batteries were developed and why Eco Expo Asia is his choice for its regional debut.
What are the main features of the AquaCell?
First of all, it doesn’t have an expiry date. If you were to just take them out and put them into a flashlight, they won’t work because there is no power. What you need to do is to take the battery out of the packaging, and take the battery cap off and you will see there’s an area inside the battery which is dry. And all you have to do is dunk it into the water, wait for a few minutes, take it out and dry it off. Then it becomes pretty much a normal battery.
Our product is meant for low- to mid-drain items such as flashlights, remote controls, radios, so basically anything that requires low energy or is very durable. It’s not good for DVD players or very heavy-drain products, which usually require lithium batteries or very high-end alkaline batteries. It’s an idea that we’re going to try to bring to the market starting in Hong Kong.
How is it environmental?
It’s not just because we add water – and it’s not only water that would make it work. Beer or almost any water-based liquid would work. But the real reason this is eco-friendly is the non-toxic, non-alkalai material we use. An alkaline battery uses potassium hydroxide, which is a very alkaline material, which we do not use.
The second thing is that the recycling rate is extremely high. We’re hitting probably close to 90 per cent recycling efficiency, which means that 90 per cent of the weight of this battery would get recycled. On top of that, we have an opportunity to buy back our own materials once it gets recycled, ship it back to our facility in China and reuse them for new batteries.
Because we are a new player in the market, we have the opportunity and the freedom and the flexibility to implement the latest technology for making batteries in a clean and sustainable way.
Tell us about Hong Kong’s role in commercialising this innovation.
About three years ago I bought this battery that claimed to be a “green” battery. That got me thinking that it was possible to produce a truly green battery backed up with certification and evidence.
I approached a chemistry student from the University of Hong Kong, who started dissecting batteries and doing tests. We at first tried a magnesium-based aluminum, and copper-based battery. And eventually he said – I think I’ve got it – and we sent a couple of possibilities to a university in China, which helped us with further tests.
Eventually, we made our first prototype. We drafted a business plan and incorporated a company in Hong Kong. By the time that was done, six months later, we knew this was potentially big.
Hong Kong is a perfect place for entrepreneurs to come up with new ideas because there are plenty of opportunities and support. There are knowledgeable people in every area that you need.
Why are you first targeting the European market?
Europe is much ahead in the eco-friendly aspect of the business. If you take a country such as Switzerland, the rules and the regulations are extremely strict. It is an easy opportunity for us to answer this market first. For us the first place to showcase this product would be countries such as Switzerland, France, Germany, Holland and Scandinavia. These are the countries that make a lot of effort on the government-level (to promote eco-friendly technologies.) Plus collection of spent batteries is very high in these countries.
Many of the buyers at Eco Expo Asia come from the Chinese mainland. Is China moving ahead in coming up with environmental solutions?
China is a big country. Industrialisation in China is moving forward in such a pace that they’re going to have issues in five to 10 years’ time, so they’re trying to tackle them early, from the top. I also think there’s plenty of opportunities for Chinese manufacturers to make money by being environmentally friendly. I think the whole way of thinking is changing. China is a big player in the world now and they want to be part of the world stage, including by being eco-friendly.
Can you imagine the AquaCell project coming together anywhere else in the world as it has here?
I don’t think it would have been done as easily as it was done in Hong Kong. Hong Kong is a step ahead of the rest of the world because this is a financial capital, at least in the Far East. There is money, whether it’s for outside or inside, people work here on a financial-basis, a lot of investment is being done here. Secondly, I think Hong Kong is regarded as a safe investment place because of tight governmental regulations.
It’s also the gateway to China and the financial heart. Because there’s flexibility in the market, and from there on you can step into China. You get the right people around you, and you move to China, well-prepared because even at this stage, you can still make mistakes in China, by tying up with the wrong people or going in without being properly prepared. If you take Hong Kong as your first step, to get your finance in order, get the right people on the senior management, and get into China with enough expertise and experience around you, I think that’s the safest way to go into China.
Source: Hong Kong Trader