Amara Raja signs LFP battery technology deal with China’s Gotion

Amara Raja Advanced Cell Technologies (ARACT), an arm of Amara Raja Energy & Mobility, has signed a technical licensing agreement with GIB EnergyX Slovakia, an arm of China-based Gotion High-Tech. The agreement licenses Gotion’s lithium ferro phosphate (LFP) technology for lithium-ion cells to ARACT, enabling Amara Raja to manufacture LFP cells in both cylindrical and prismatic form factors.

Gotion High-Tech has eight global R&D centers, 8,000 patented technologies covering the battery industry value chain, 20 major manufacturing locations around the world, and a capacity layout expected to reach 300 GWh by 2025.

The licensing provides Amara Raja with access to cell technology IP, support in establishing Gigafactory facilities conforming to latest generation process technologies, integration with Gotion’s global supply chain network for critical battery materials, and customer technical support for solution deployment.

The technology transfer and service support will fully complement Amara Raja’s efforts to operationalize its Gigafactory manufacturing capacities and its advanced research and innovation centre, ‘e+ Energy Labs’, that aims to lead India’s R&D capabilities in this field.

Last year, Amara Raja announced an investment outlay of INR 9,500 croresto establish the Amara Raja Giga Corridor in the state of Telangana. The company aims to keep their products competitive and contemporary through access to continuous improvements in cell performance and process efficiencies through the partnership period.

Amara Raja and Gotion are both shareholders and board members of InoBat, an emerging lithium battery technology company in Slovakia, tackling advanced applications such as electric aviation and developing a robust ‘Cradle to Cradle’ ecosystem of battery value chain.

GIB, a joint venture between Gotion High-tech and InoBat, has recently signed an investment agreement with the Government of Slovakia for the development of the first LFP battery Gigafactory in the country.

Vikramadithya Gourineni, executive director, Amara Raja Energy & Mobility, said, “We have invested a lot of time and effort over the past few years to understand the global new energy landscape and made a calculated decision to be a part of the evolving lithium battery ecosystem through our investment in InoBat. Further collaborating with GIB through their ‘Global C2C Alliance’ brings us great confidence in reinforcing our technology and supply security….this partnership will help us accelerate our efforts in establishing the Amara Raja Giga Corridor while Gotion’s acumen lends significant customer credibility to our venture.”

Jayadev Galla, chairman and managing director, Amara Raja Energy & Mobility, added, “We firmly believe that India will be one of the fastest growing EV markets, and that Gotion’s globally proven technology coupled with our three decades of expertise in the energy and mobility space will be a winning combination. During our history we have cultivated deep relationships with customers across all automotive and industrial battery applications who trust in Amara Raja to continually deliver best-in-class solutions for all their needs. In Amara Raja 3.0, we will once again aid our customers as they navigate their own roles in the energy transition.”

Amara Raja Energy & Mobility is engaged in a diverse range of solutions and products, which includes energy storage solutions, lithium-ion cell manufacturing, wide range of EV chargers, Li-ion battery pack assembly, automotive and industrial lubricants, and exploration of new chemistries, among others. It is one of the largest manufacturers of energy storage products for both industrial and automotive applications in India. Amara Raja is the preferred supplier to major telecom service providers, telecom equipment manufacturers, the UPS sector, Indian Railways, and the Power, Oil & Gas industry segments.