BEIJING — China's lithium-ion battery output topped 82 GWh in the first two months of this year, indicating strong growth momentum buoyed by the takeoff of the new energy vehicle sector, official data showed.

Specifically, the output of lithium-ion batteries used for power storage and for powering new energy vehicles stood at more than 9 GWh and 30 GWh, respectively, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

China now has around 11,000 lithium-ion battery firms, and over 1,000 were registered in 2021, according to the corporate information provider Tianyancha.

Last year, the industry's total production value exceeded 600 billion yuan (about $94 billion), according to the ministry.