Taiwan-based LED firms such as Epistar, Formosa Epitaxy, Delta Electronics, Leotek, and Harvatek are heading to Harbin, a northeastern city in China to discuss the possibility of installing LED lighting products throughout the city. LED lighting products installed in the city will have to withstand extremely low temperatures.
LED firms in China and Taiwan have been cooperating on replacing street lamps in various cities in China. Xiamen and Guangzhou were the first two cities to be selected for trials.
Taiwan-based LED firms have been interested in northeastern cities as the next step of cooperation. According to Taiwan-based LED makers, northeast China lacks major domestic LED firms. In addition, standards and regulations for LED lighting applications in those provinces are not clear, hence, it is seen as a market worth developing, according to Taiwan-based LED firms.
The first city in northeast China to be selected for LED street lamp trials is Harbin. If the trial is successful, the project will expand throughout the Heilongjiang province, said LED firms. A single city is likely to have 30,000-100,000 street lamps replaced by LED lighting, added LED firms.
The challenge for LED lighting products deployed in the region is the extreme low temperatures experienced in northeast China during the winter. LED applications such as decorative and outdoor street lamps will be installed and are scheduled to begin operating in October.
Industry observers noted that if Taiwan-based firms conduct the project successfully, nearby countries such as Russia will also become a potential market.
