(Yicai) Aug. 1 -- Shares of Efort Intelligent Equipment soared after the Chinese industrial automation equipment supplier said it will invest CNY1.9 billion (USD263 million) to build a high-performance robot super factory and a global headquarters.

Efort [SHA: 688165] soared 6.9 percent to CNY8.05 (USD1.18) a share as of 1.50 p.m. in Shanghai today, after jumping by as much as 12 percent in the morning trading session.

The robot super plant will have an annual production capacity of 100,000 units, Efort announced late yesterday, adding that it will be constructed in Wuhu, China's eastern Anhui province, where the company is based.

The project is scheduled to be built in two phases, with a planned annual output of 50,000 units each, Efort noted. The construction period will be 24 months for the first phase and 31 months for the second, it pointed out.

The new factory will focus on developing new products in high-end and specialized application scenarios and completing Efort's product lineup, according to the company.  

Efort's production capacity of 10,000 industrial robots a year will likely be insufficient to meet the surging market demand within three to five years, the firm said. In addition, its factory's hygiene and production processes are inadequate to meet the technical requirements for large-scale production of a new range of products, so it is necessary to invest in constructing the new project, it added.

Upon completion and reaching full capacity, the robot super plant will effectively enhance the overall output and comprehensive strength of Efort's robotics and intelligent manufacturing, optimize capacity layout, and reduce operational risks during the development process, the company noted.

Some 55 percent of Efort's industrial robots revenue came from solar companies last year, 20 percent from general-purpose robots, 16 percent from 3C (computers, communications, and consumer) electronics firms, 8 percent from the auto and car parts industry, and 1 percent from battery makers, its latest financial report showed. Its robot business revenue accounted for 45 percent of its total, while overseas market sales made up 55 percent of all.

Efort's overseas clients include carmakers Stellantis, General Motors, Volkswagen Group, and Toyota Motor, as well as the world's largest rail transport equipment manufacturer Alstom, and aircraft manufacturer, Airbus.

Editor: Martin Kadiev