NSTL to develop new lithium-ion battery technology for submarines

VISAKHAPATNAM: The Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL), which has been engaged in various energy storage devices for high power application for the last five decades, has initiated work on development of lithium ion battery technology for batteries of high energy applications to cater to the needs of both defence and civilian applications.

NSTL Director Y Srinivasa Rao said, “We are focusing on developing lithium ion batteries compatible for submarines. Only Japan is ahead of India in research of lithium ion batteries for submarines. At present led-acid batteries are being used and research is going on full scale to replace them with lithium ion batteries. The NSTL is making batteries required for defence under Make 1 and for others under Make 2.”
The NSTL is also making strides in sodium ion batteries as this will reduce dependence on lithium which has to be imported.

As part of Atma Nirbhar Bharat Yojana, the Centre is promoting indigenous technology and stopped imports. In view of this, there is a lot of scope for Visakhapatnam to become a naval ecosystem like Bengaluru, which has air ecosystem, he said.

The major advantage of sodium ion batteries is high natural abundance of sodium in the country. This will make commercial production of sodium ion batteries less costly than lithium ion batteries. At present 2AH sodium ion batteries have been developed in the lab and trials of 5AH battery are going on, he explained.
NSTL Assistant Director Satyavani said poor construction of batteries is the main reason for fire mishaps in e-vehicles. An advanced batteries R&D facility was inaugurated by Srinivasa Rao on Tuesday in the presence of NSTL Director A Srinivas Kumar.