Li-ion

Noida-based manufacturer JLNPhenix Energy has expanded its lithium battery manufacturing capacity in India to 550 MWh/annum, with the addition of a 150 MWh/year plant in Maharashtra.

India should focus on developing and manufacturing battery storage chemistries that are locally suitable in terms of economic, environmental and social considerations, Minister of Road Transport Nitin Gadkari said at India Energy Storage Week 2022 in New Delhi.

Based in Gurugram, the plant will produce customized lithium battery packs for electric vehicles and stationary energy storage applications, including solar. The production capacity will be scaled up to 200MWh/annum by December end.

The Indian multinational business conglomerate has signed the agreement to buy Netherlands-headquartered lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery specialist Lithium Werks for US$ 61 million, including funding for future growth.

The annual demand for lithium-ion batteries in India will reach 116 GWh in FY 2029-30, with electric vehicles (EVs) accounting for 90%.

The US-based startup, which has a battery production plant in Greater Noida, has landed a deal to supply its swappable lithium-ion battery technology to Hyderabad-based Rap Eco Motors.

Noida-headquartered Lohum plans to expand its integrated lithium-ion battery manufacturing and recycling facility in India to 3 GWh and expand into the US with its first facility. Co-founder Justin Lemmon speaks to pv magazine about how their operations in India will solve the battery supply chain and cost challenge for the nation’s electric mobility and renewable energy ambitions.

Parity in the total cost of ownership already exists for electric two-wheelers and three-wheelers (with subsidy) vis-à-vis their internal combustion engine counterparts. Policy impetus, coupled with the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for batteries and auto components (exclusively covering EVs), is likely to further reduce costs and accelerate the transition to electric vehicles (EVs). The transition will also open up the market for new-age companies and innovators across the value chain.

India has seen substantial activity in the domestic battery storage and green hydrogen markets, from the entry of Reliance and Acme Solar in green hydrogen to gigawatt-scale battery storage tenders by NTPC and the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). There are more private ventures in the offing, indicating the government’s policy push is in the right direction.  

A report from Australia’s Future Battery Industries Cooperative Research Centre which analysed the development of battery hubs in the U.S., Germany and Japan, has found that co-location and cooperation between industry and government were key to their success. For Australia to play the same game, it will have to leverage its wealth of resources, and clean up its act along the way.