Battery major Amara Raja plans 50 MW solar plant
The Indian automotive battery major has announced the setting up of a 50 MW solar power plant in Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh. The plant—to be built at INR 220-crore investment—will help reduce the manufacturer’s carbon footprint while lowering its electricity bill. The firm, which has already set up a pilot plant facility for Lithium-ion cell development, is also mulling investments into energy storage for the renewables sector.
India’s 2030 electric vehicle ambition could create INR 85,900-crore battery opportunity
A new report says that the nation would require an estimated annual battery capacity of 158 GWh to realize its 2030 electric vehicle (EV) adoption target. Meeting this potential demand would require investments exceeding INR 85,900 crore (US$ 12.3 billion) in case battery manufacturing is 100% indigenized.
Cabinet approves INR22600-crore budget for solar module and advanced battery manufacture
An ambitious, INR146,000 crore, five-year expansion of a previous domestic industry spending program includes money to attract investment into the sustainable energy and transport technologies.
Electric vehicle adoption in India will be led by three-wheelers
Electric vehicles will account for 65-75% of new three-wheeler (3W) sales by 2030. Intra-city transport buses will see 25-40% EV penetration and two-wheelers 25-35%. In four-wheeler passenger vehicles, the market will be driven by shared mobility, while just 10-15% of new car sales for personal mobility will be electric.
C-MET seeks co-funding partner for lithium and sodium-ion battery cell manufacturing
The selected party will provide funding support of Rs 4 crore by way of design and development of machinery for lithium- and sodium-ion battery cell manufacturing. September 30 is the deadline to submit the interest.
Epsilon Carbon to make graphite anode materials for Lithium-ion batteries
The coal tar derivates company has commissioned a 5000-tonne per annum facility to manufacture synthetic graphite anode materials for lithium-ion batteries. It plans to invest US$ 70 million (Rs 520 crore) over the next five years to increase this capacity to 50,000 tonnes.
Post Covid support required for electric vehicles: FICCI
The industry body has recommended a series of measures including a continuation of FAME II Scheme to 2025, short-term booster incentives for consumers and support for in-house R&D to boost the electric vehicle sector.
Covid-19 impact on India’s energy storage industry
The onset of Covid-19 has brought into focus the critical importance of indigenization and localization of battery cells as a series of disruptions in the supply chain for Li-ion batteries will also affect Indian electric vehicles and stationary energy storage market.
India’s lithium-ion battery imports increase fourfold in two years
China, Hong Kong and Vietnam are the top three nations exporting batteries to India. Chinese imports were worth $773 million in the last fiscal year with Hong Kong shipping $267 million worth and Vietnam $114 million, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
The long read: Is fair lithium from Chile possible?
Batteries, and the raw materials that make them, are a frequent target of public criticism. The high water consumption required for lithium extraction is speeding up the desertification process around the salt lakes of Latin America’s so-called “lithium triangle”, for example. The mining debate highlights general problems with the extraction of raw materials, including copper, crude oil, and lithium, but international companies can still influence extraction methods – and there are plenty of different approaches.
