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PERTH-based and publicly listed engineering company Sprintex Limited plans to build a new range of automotive superchargers in China after establishing a subsidiary near Shanghai.

The factory and office at Suzhou, between Shanghai and Wuxi, will have the capacity of 50,000 units of a new range of high-speed electric superchargers designed as a performance boost for hybrid vehicles, air compressors in hydrogen fuel-cell systems, and as air and gas compressors for industrial applications.

The Chinese link comes after Sprintex was relisted on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) late last year after being suspended since 2018 because of a protracted company reorganisation.

Sprintex China, headed by major shareholder and director Mr Li Chen, was started after the company secured “a series of subsidies from the Chinese government for its high-tech operations and clean energy profile, including three years of free rental subsidised by local government, additional long term project grant incentives, and local tax exemption of up to 80 per cent,” it said in a statement to the ASX.

Sprintex managing director, Perth-based Jay Upton, said: “The establishment of Sprintex China opens significant opportunities for Sprintex as it expands its product range internationally”.

“We’ve assembled a strong team and look forward to implementing our expansion strategies.”

Sprintex China’s operations will be in a refurbished building with 1500 square metres of factory and office space.

It will focus on the development and production of high-speed electric compressors – electric equipment that spins at 100,000rpm or higher speed to compress and feed clean air or gases, Sprintex said in an ASX statement.

“High-speed eCompressors are receiving rapidly-increasing demand across the globe for clean energy and industrial equipment upgrading, such as use of electric superchargers in mild hybrid vehicles; in air compressors in hydrogen fuel-cell systems for transportation and distributed energy; and as high-efficiency air and gas compressors for a wide range of industrial applications,” said the ASX statement.

“This development will also open the market for Sprintex’s renowned twin-screw compressor in China for automotive and industrial applications.”

Sprintex continues to manufacture superchargers at its 50 per cent owned facility in Malaysia and completes and markets superchargers in other global markets out of its offices in the US.

It offers superchargers for vehicles with 3.6-litre V6 petrol engines from Jeep, Chrysler, Ram and even the 1.5-litre engine in the Honda Jazz, and has its main rival as Eaton.

It said that since announcing its office in China, it has “received several expressions of interest from targeted customers and potential corporate partners.”

By Neil Dowling

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