Leoch Battery Charts Strategic Growth in ASEAN and Beyond

Singapore-headquartered Leoch Battery is eyeing Southeast Asia as its next major growth engine as it expands its smart energy and battery solutions business globally.

Even as Southeast Asia positions itself as a rising hub for renewable energy and electrification, one of its own companies — Leoch Battery — is aiming to strengthen its regional footprint after achieving significant success across the US, Europe and other global markets.

Speaking to AsiaBizToday on the sidelines of The Battery Show Asia 2025 held in Hong Kong, Robin Li, Chief Technology Officer of Leoch Battery, outlined the company’s strategy to grow its presence in ASEAN, drive innovation from its Singapore base, and develop smart energy infrastructure tailored to the needs of emerging markets.

Born Global, Now Refocusing on Asia

“We’re a Singapore-headquartered company, but ironically, our strongest markets are in Europe and North America,” said Li. “Now, with ASEAN economies evolving quickly, Southeast Asia is a major strategic growth focus.”

Leoch is no newcomer to the global stage. Listed in Hong Kong since the early 2000s and now planning to list its overseas assets in the US later this year, the company has built a strong reputation as a supplier to major telecoms, data centre operators and automative manufacturers across the globe, including Vodafone, Eaton, Schneider, and Ford, etc.

In the Asia-Pacific region, however, the opportunity is just beginning to unfold. “We see growth coming from markets like Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines—especially for commercial and industrial energy storage, EV charging and off-grid solutions,” said Li.

Behind-the-Meter Strategy for Urban and Off-Grid Growth

Rather than large-scale grid storage projects, Leoch is focusing on “behind-the-meter” solutions — battery systems designed for deployment at the end-user level, such as telecom towers, remote sites, factories, commercial buildings, EV charging stations, data centers and urban city infrastructures like land transportation, airports and ports, etc.

“Power generation-side and grid-side storage are important, but in places like Singapore or Hong Kong, where land and grid capacity are limited, behind-the-meter deployments offer faster returns and better feasibility,” explained Li.

One such example is Leoch’s microgrid ESS project in Sulawesi, Indonesia, which complemented diesel generators with solar and battery-powered systems for an island resort. The result: over 30% diesel savings and the return of marine life such as turtles, which had earlier disappeared due to noise and pollution. “It’s a win for both business and biodiversity,” said Li.

Smart Energy Infrastructure: ASEAN’s Turning Point

With cities across Southeast Asia now facing rising energy demands— especially from data centres and electric vehicles — Li believes smart energy infrastructure is essential.

In Hong Kong, Leoch is working with clients to support the power needs of 300 ultra-fast EV charging sites powered by AI-managed BESS charging energy systems. “The grid can’t handle ultra-fast charging loads everywhere, so we’re using AI to manage and optimise local capacity to overcome the grid intake hurdles. It’s faster and cheaper than upgrading substations,” he said.

The same model is now being extended to ASEAN. “We are in talks in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore to replicate this success. The region is ripe for distributed energy & microgrid systems that are intelligent, modular and economically viable,” he added.

R&D, AI & Cybersecurity and Commercialisation from Singapore

Singapore remains at the heart of Leoch’s R&D and innovation engine. From its offices, the company develops its global version of the Battery Management Systems (BMS), Artificial Intelligence (AI) smart Energy Management Systems (EMS) software platform, and IOT based remote monitoring & predictive analytics tools — all aligned with stringent GovTech cybersecurity requirements.

“This gives us a big edge when working with European and American clients who demand high levels of data & cyber security, and we get it tested & validated intensively in Singapore first, and also the economical viability of our solutions against the Smart Nation setup” noted Li. “Singapore is not just our headquarters — it’s our living lab.”

The city-state’s compact geography, educated workforce, and support for innovation make it ideal for global product development. “We’re working on sodium-ion batteries for telecoms first, solid-state batteries for the future, and AI-enhanced EMS (energy management systems) that can be applied across ASEAN and beyond,” he added.

Building a Circular, Sustainable Business

Leoch is also investing in battery recycling and second-life applications, turning sustainability into a growth driver. “We’re not treating recycling as a cost centre — we’re building it into our business model,” said Li.

As ASEAN countries like Indonesia attract investments in nickel and battery production, regional alliances are emerging to standardise recycling and end-of-life battery management. “This is about economic sustainability as much as environmental responsibility,” he added.

Li is candid about the region’s challenges. “In much of ASEAN, the priority is still economic livelihood. If we want clean energy adoption to scale, it has to make commercial sense,” he said.

That’s why Leoch’s strategy is built around practical, quick-deployment solutions that deliver both savings and sustainability. From island microgrids to EV charging platforms, the company is proving that renewables can be viable alternatives to fossil fuels—especially where grid infrastructure is lacking or cannot cope with rapid large scale DC hyperscalers or ultra-fast EV charging power needs.

With support from governments, banks, and academia, the region is poised for what Li describes as “leapfrog development” in energy access and sustainability.

Impact, Innovation, and ASEAN’s Moment

Looking ahead, Li says his own motivation — and that of his team — is rooted in three words: impact, innovation, and passion.

“The future belongs to our young engineers,” said Li, referring to the fresh graduates from Singapore universities working at Leoch. “We’re helping them build solutions for real-world problems. That’s what makes it meaningful.”

While global battery giants dominate the mainstream markets, Leoch’s focus on niche, adaptable, and AI-enhanced systems may prove to be its competitive advantage — especially in dynamic, fast-growing markets like ASEAN.