(Yicai) Nov. 26 -- Shares in Shenzhen Senior Technology Material soared as much as 7.4 percent today after the Chinese lithium battery diaphragm supplier said it is linking arms with solid-state battery manufacturer Hytzer Energy to develop solid-state battery components.

Senior Tech’s share price [SHE:300568] closed up 1.1 percent at CNY11.90 (USD1.60). Earlier in the day it hit CNY12.68.

Senior Tech and Hytzer are joining forces to develop functional membranes for solid-state batteries that will improve battery performance, the Shenzhen-based company said yesterday, citing the strategic co-operation framework agreement penned by the two parties that day.

The partners will start commercial development, production and sales of the membranes in due course, it added. No mention was made of the tie-up’s performance goals, the timeframe and other details.

Solid-state batteries are a new type of battery that uses solid electrodes and electrolytes. Compared with commonly used liquid-state batteries, such as lithium-ion batteries, solid-state batteries have a longer driving range, faster charging speed and higher safety performance. This allows them to be used in more application scenarios, such as aviation, robots and energy storage. But they are difficult to develop and expensive to make.

Hytzer is committed to promoting the rapid commercialization of the next generation of all-solid-state batteries, according to the Changzhou-based company’s website. Founded in April 2022, the firm has developed four generations of solid-state battery systems with different energy densities so far, and has built the world's first large-scale pilot production line for polymer all-solid-state batteries.

Senior Tech counts major battery makers such as China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology as well as South Korea’s LG Energy Solution and Samsung SDI among its clients. In the last two weeks, the firm has signed long-term battery separator supply deals with a unit of Germany’s Volkswagen and the overseas subsidiary of Chinese battery manufacturer Eve Energy.

Editor: Kim Taylor