Rombat set to make batteries for Renault and Peugeot hybrid cars

Rombat Bistrita producer of car batteries is poised to invest 20m euros to expand production capacities and manufacture batteries for micro-hybrid cars and is also due to start building 3-4 micro hydropower stations on a river of Moldova. For micro-hybrid car batteries, which have Start-Stop systems to cut fuel consumption, Rombat works with Renault partner and PSA group. "We'll start manufacturing these batteries in 2012. This hybrid car market is run by legislation. Demand will rise as the law requires carmakers that around 60% of manufactured cars should have emissions of below 120g CO2/km by 2013," said Ioan Repede, general manager of Rombat. Once it boosts production capacities, Rombat will also retool the used battery recycling unit of Copsa Mica. To this end, it plans to raise 2.8m-euro funding from the Environment Fund. Rombat is now is talks and carrying out tests with Ford to supply batteries for the Craiova plant, but a partnership has not been sealed, yet. Last year, the company exported 1.2 million car batteries, 60% of production, to the Western European car part market.