A pouch battery having improved safety and performance characteristics comprises an electrode assembly, said electrode assembly formed by respectively overlaying a sheet cathode (1), a sheet separator (3) and a double-sided sheet anode (8) to form a stacked structure (10), and subjecting the stacked structure to multiple folds, wherein the initial fold comprises folding the cathode in half around the double-sided anode so as to surround the respective upper and lower active anode surfaces thereof. The multiple folds may comprise one or more subsequent parallel folds made with the fold line (D-D) extending perpendicular to the original length of the stacked structure such that its overall length is halved at each fold. The pouch battery construction has especial application to lithium primary batteries.
