CECRI Signs Pact for India's First Indigenous Lithium Ion Battery Project

The Central Electro Chemical Research Institute (CECRI), Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, which is part of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), has signed a Memorandum of Agreement with RAASI Solar Power Pvt. Ltd. for transfer of technology for India’s first Lithium Ion Battery (LIB) project.

The agreement was signed in Bengaluru on June 9, 2018 by Dr. Vijayamohan K. Pillai, Director, CECRI and Mr. C. Narasimhan, Chairman-cum-Managing Director, RAASI Group in the presence of Union Minister for Science & Technology, Dr. Harsh Vardhan.

A group at CSIR-CECRI headed by Dr. Gopu Kumar has developed an indigenous technology of lithium-ion cells in partnership with CSIR-National Physical Laboratory (CSIR-NPL) New Delhi, CSIR-Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute (CSIR-CGCRI), Kolkata and Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIR-IICT), Hyderabad. CSIR-CECRI has set up a demo facility in Chennai to manufacture proto type lithium-ion cells. It has secured global IPRs with potential to enable cost reduction, coupled with appropriate supply chain and manufacturing technology for mass production.

CECRI

Currently, Indian manufacturers source LIBs from China, Japan and South Korea, among other countries. In 2017, India imported nearly $150-mn worth LIBs.

“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 after the signing ceremony. “It will give tremendous boost to two flagship programmes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi – increasing the share of clean energy in the energy basket by generating 175-GW by 2022, of which 100-GW will be solar; and the second, National Electric Mobility Mission, to switch completely to electric vehicles by 2030.”

Manufacturing unit in Krishnagiri district

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 Mr. Narasimhan. “We also have plans to make LIBs for solar roof top with life span of 25 years to make it affordable enough to drive the photovoltaic segment.”

LIBs have applications in energy storage system – from hearing aid to container sized batteries to power a cluster of villages, electric vehicles (2-wheeler, 3-wheeler, 4-wheeler and bus), portable electronic sector, grid storage, telecom and telecommunication towers, medical devices, household and office power back (UPS), powering robots in processing industry.