Lithium ion battery to reduce dependence on Chinese imports

In a move to achieve self-reliance in defence sector and to reduce the dependence on imports, especially from China, India is all set to produce its first lithium ion (Li-ion) battery on commercial basis. The Central Electro Chemical Research Institute (CECRI), Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu under Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) and a private firm, RAASI Solar Power Private Limited have inked a pact for transfer of technology for India’s first Lithium Ion (Li-ion) Battery project.

The RAASI Group will set up the manufacturing facility in Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu close to Bangalore. “We want to bring down the cost of cell manufacturing below Rs 15,000 per KW to replace Lead Acid Battery,” said C Narasimhan, CMD of RAASI Group. “We also have plans to make Lithium Ion battery for solar roof top with life span of 25 years to make it affordable enough to drive the photo voltaic segment.”

This is the first commercial ToT for manufacturing of the Li-ion battery in the country.

The CECRI has already set up the first indigenous Li-ion fabrication facility that has applications in defence, solar powered devices, railways and other high end usages. The facility is to start industrial level production in two months.

“It’s the first time that we will have our own technology and potential to produce Li-ion batteries domestically. This would help in cutting costs as well as our dependence on the foreign market,” said professor Vijayamohan K Pillai, Diector of the CECRI. We are looking for more investor, he said.

Currently, Indian manufacturers source Lithium Ion Battery from China, Japan and South Korea among some other countries. India is one of the largest importers and in 2017, it imported nearly 150 Million US Dollar worth Li-Ion batteries.  “Today’s development is a validation of the capabilities of CSIR and its laboratories to meet technology in critical areas to support our industry, besides other sectors,” said Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Science and Technology Minister who was present at the occasion.

“It will give tremendous boost to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two flagship programmes — increasing the share of clean energy in the energy basket by generating 175 Giga Watts by 2022, of which 100 Giga Watts will be Solar and the second, National Electric Mobility Mission, to switch completely to electric vehicles by 2030.”

Li-Ion batteries have applications in energy storage system — from hearing aid to container sized batteries to power a cluster of villages, electric vehicles, portable electronic sector, grid storage, telecom and telecommunication towers, medical devices, household and office power back (UPS), powering robots in processing industry.