(Yicai Global) Aug. 27 -- Meituan-Dianping, China's leading lifestyle service provider, is to re-enter the shared power bank market after a two year hiatus as the sector shows strong growth.

Beijing-based Meituan will restart the project it paused in 2017 on a large scale nationwide, technology media LatePost reported yesterday. It will change the power banks' color to the firm's iconic yellow from the original white and green. No further details were given and Meituan has yet to respond.

Constant use of mobile phones in daily life means that they frequently need recharging. Shared power banks have become available in many public spaces such as shopping malls, metro stations and office buildings in recent years. Customers scan a QR code to pay a small rental charging fee. 

The number of users of these public charging stations has grown steadily and is expected to reach 150 million this year. High-frequency customers who use them every week are set to exceed two million, big data monitoring platform Trustdata reported last month.

Shared power banks are low-cost and high-profit, according to internet giant Tencent Holdings' entrepreneurial service platform. The costs of installing a cabinet can be recovered within the first four months, and each power station can generate between CNY1,020 (USD142) and CNY1,380 in profit a month.

Lead players are all making money. So far, Shenzhen Jiedian Technology holds the biggest share of China's power bank market with 29 percent, followed by Suning Xiaodian, the convenience store chain of retail giant Suning, with 27 percent.  Shanghai-based startup Energy Monster has a 25 percent share and Shenzhen Laidian Technology 16 percent, according to the Trustdata report.

Meituan had a short foray into the sector in August 2017 when it set up pilot projects in several cities including Shizjiazhuang, Hebei province and Qingdao, Shandong province. However, three months later the firm announced it was quitting.