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 CONTE NT S
VOLUME 9 – ISSUE 1 l JAN-MAR 2022

10
07 COVER FEATURE
24

From The Editor

24
Year of the
Li-ion: Time to
NEWS scale up

08
National Update LEADERSHIP SPEAK 16

28
16 Anchal Sondhi, VP
Growth – Fluence,
APAC Region
International Update

EMERGING TECHNOLOGY NEWS Jan–Mar 2022

 5

ENERGY STORAGE 13 21

32
Expanding storage in the
India grid

34
Dual carbon batteries 32
for high-voltage 140
applications 120
100
80

36
GWh

60
40
20
Battery swapping
0
stations for grid 2021 2031 2031 2031
stability Ref
-4hr Battery -6hr Battery Pumped Hydro

CLEAN ENERGY
34

38
Way to net-zero

E-MOBILITY

40
Mission 'Shoonya': zero 40
pollution mobility

SAFETY

42
Charging safety
of EVs

Jan–Mar 2022 EMERGING TECHNOLOGY NEWS

 FROM THE EDITOR 7

The war in Europe and its ripple effect

The world, for the best part of post-WW II, has pursued unification,
built up tremendous inter-dependency across continents and reduced
itself to being referred to as a ‘global village.’ Then all of a sudden
BOOM! The Russo-Ukraine conflict has revived a stand-off between the
old enemies of the cold-war.
WAR IS HELL and our thoughts and prayers go out to those afflicted
by this terrible man-made humanitarian crisis. War is also extremely
energy intensive and polluting. Barrels of carbon based fuel is burned
in deployment and attack: fighter jets let out the dirtiest emissions in
massive quantities, pollution from tanks, the 40-mile-long convoy of
Russian vehicles, a stream of supply vehicles, also those transferring
massive amounts of arms into Ukraine, generators, burning armaments
and infrastructure, all sending clouds of carbon dioxide into the
atmosphere.
NATO members were already increasing defense spending before the
war; additionally now, East European countries, with US aid, are flying
in more patrols along their borders. Increased militarization means more
greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere warming the planet at
its most critical time. Today, with the precarious temperature at which the
world stands every day’s non-reduction of carbon into the atmosphere Ashok Thakur
Editor-In-Chief
adds to the already dangerous state of climate change. 
athakur@ces-ltd.com
At the COP26 of November 2021 the intentions to align with net-zero
by 2050 were never more serious. After all, in the recent past Nature had
shown her wrath by battering the Earth with hurricanes, landslides, floods, wildfires and much more - sparing neither
the developing nor the developed world. Now the war has brought about fears that climate action could be placed
on a back-burner. Many governments have turned their attention to energy security. A case in point is Europe, which
relies on Russian exports for almost 70 percent of its coal, oil and gas. Russia in turn relies heavily on the income
from these exports.
A silver lining is that some world leaders are calling for accelerating clean energy technologies; others speak of
increasing domestic fossil fuel supplies to reduce Russian imports.
Where do energy storage and e-mobility stand in this scenario? Supply chains, just limping back to normal have
gone into disruption so production lines are slowing again. The rising crude prices will be passed on to the public by
the government. The effect will mean a rise in general inflation. Important raw materials for car manufacture have
shot up. Prices for nickel, a key metal to increase energy density in lithium-ion batteries, shot sky-high. Now EV
penetration across the globe could slow, just when it was picking up.
However, considering the high cost of Li-ion batteries,
OEMs have been experimenting with other chemistries like
lithium iron phosphate or LFP, which are less dependent
on nickel. LFPs are cheaper batteries, but they have lower
energy density. The sodium-ion (Na-ion) battery too makes
The war has brought about a strong case for cost efficiency due to the abundance of
sodium in sea water as well as the use of manganese. Both
fears that climate action these materials avoid unethical sourcing; the end-use here
could be placed on a back- is pure drinking water. However, the Na-ion battery is less
burner energy dense than Li-ion.
GoI has recently passed the National Hydrogen Mission
for Green Hydrogen production and export. GH will contribute
strongly to boost energy self-reliance. With hydrogen in the green-fuel kitty, India is well placed to tick off the five
commitments made by Prime Minister Modi at COP 26: to achieve Net Zero by 2070; take cumulative non fossil
fuel generation capacity to 500 GW by 2030; meet 50 percent of energy needs from renewable energy; reduce the
energy intensity of the economy by 45 percent; reduce carbon emissions by 1 billion tons.
At a time when the war in Europe is severely damaging the environment, putting millions of lives at risk and
cancelling efforts to slow global warming, India should stand out as a nation that stood up to its commitments to
save Mother Earth.

Jan–Mar 2022 EMERGING TECHNOLOGY NEWS

 8 NATIONAL NEWS
Exide to collaborate with SVOLT for
Li-ion cell manufacturing
Exide Industries
Energy has signed a long-
Storage term technical
collaboration
agreement with
SVOLT Energy Technology of China.
As per the agreement, SVOLT will
grant Exide an irrevocable license
to use, exploit and commercialize
necessary technology and know-
how owned by them for lithium-ion
cell manufacturing in India.
Further, SVOLT will also provide
the required support for setting
up a state-of-the-art greenfield
manufacturing plant on a turnkey
basis. As a spin-off of the Chinese
carmaker Great Wall Motors, SVOLT
produces Li-ion batteries and battery
systems for EVs and energy storage,
targeting international markets.
The company's comprehensive
one-stop product portfolio includes
battery materials, cells, modules,
packs, BMS, and energy storage
systems. SVOLT is currently focusing
on growing its global footprint and
is expanding its capacities to meet
the increasing demand for battery
applications.
Commenting on the development,
Subir Chakraborty, MD & CEO -
Ola Electric plans 50 GWh battery
manufacturing plant in India
Softbank Group-backed Ola Electric
has announced that it plans to build
a battery cell manufacturing plant in
Ola e-scooter
Source: Ola Electric
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY NEWS Jan–Mar 2022
Image for representation only
Exide Industries, said: "Exide is
excited to partner with SVOLT as
this collaboration is a major step
forward in Exide's aspiration of
becoming a leading player in the
rapidly emerging new-age electric
mobility and stationary application
businesses in India".
"With SVOLT's strong technical
expertise, R&D capabilities, and
rich experience in manufacturing
lithium-ion batteries, Exide plans to
set up a multi-gigawatt Li-ion cell
manufacturing facility. Spread out
across two popular cell chemistries
India with a capacity of up to 50GWh
as part of its larger electrification push.
According to sources, Ola will need
40GWh of battery capacity to meet its
annual target to produce 10 million
electric scooters and the remainder
will be for electric cars, which it plans
to manufacture in the future.
The preliminary plan is to set up
1GWh of battery capacity by 2023
and expand it to 20GWh over the next
three-four years, which alone will need
an investment of up to $1 billion.
Ola, currently importing battery
cells from South Korea, also
plans to capitalize in companies
with advanced cell and battery
and three cell formats, this unit shall
be uniquely placed to cater to the
diverse requirements of customers
in India".
Exide is in the process of forming
a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) by
way of a wholly-owned subsidiary,
for carrying out the said Li-ion
cell manufacturing business. The
company has participated in the
recently notified Production-Linked
Incentives (PLI) Scheme for National
Programme on Advanced Chemistry
Cell (ACC) Battery Storage, issued
by the Ministry of Heavy Industries. 
technology and will set up a battery
research and development facility in
India, the sources said.
India wants companies to build
clean fuel vehicles and batteries
locally to cut the country's oil import
bill and reduce pollution. The
government plans to give incentives
of up to $6 billion for this, and Ola is
among those that have bid for them.
The battery plans come even
as the company is yet to ramp up
scooter production to a substantial
level. Ola at present produces about
1,000 scooters a day, its CEO stated
on Twitter, and has a target of two
million in the first phase.

HPCL, SECI sign MoU for green energy projects
The Ministry of New
and Renewable
Renewable Energy, India has
Energy announced that
Hindustan Petroleum
Corporation Ltd
(HPCL) and Solar Energy Corporation
of India Ltd (SECI) have signed a pact
for cooperation and partnership in the
Greenko, Ayana partner for creating RE storage capacity
Greenko Group and NIIF-backed
Ayana Renewable Power (Ayana)
have announced that they have
entered into an arrangement to
provide standalone storage capacity,
in a template that sets a standard for
such transactions in India.
Under the partnership, the
companies will develop firm and
dispatchable RE solutions including
Image for representation only
Husk Power raises funds from IREDA for microgrids in India
Husk Power Systems has announced
the successful close of `310
million ($4.2 million) debt financing
from the India Renewable Energy
Development Agency (IREDA) Ltd.
Besides the IREDA loan, Husk
anticipates raising an additional
$18 million in debt in 2022 to fuel
accelerated project deployment,
while also kicking off fundraising for
a Series D equity round in Q1. The
company has built a robust project
pipeline in both India and Africa and
expects to have about 1,300 grids in
operation by 2025 across multiple
markets.
The new India debt, part of a
line of credit provided by German
development bank KfW to IREDA
to assist developers in scaling off-
grid energy projects, will be used
field of RE, e-mobility, and alternative
fuels comprising the development of
ESG Projects.
The ministry said that to realize
green energy objectives and the
government's efforts towards a
carbon-neutral economy, an MoU
has been signed between HPCL and
SECI.
a round-the-clock power supply of up
to 1GW to industry and distribution
companies in India.
Greenko Group has offered in
total 6,000 MWh of storage capacity
including 1500 MWh of storage
capacity in the first tranche from its
proprietary 'Off Stream Closed-Loop
Pumped Storage Project' being
developed at Pinnapuram, Andhra
Pradesh.
Commenting on the cooperation,
Mahesh Kolli, Founder President and
Joint Managing Director of Greenko
said: "This partnership between
Ayana and Greenko is in line with
the Ministry of Power and Ministry of
New and Renewable Energy mission
to create a standalone storage
to finance 140 microgrids in the
States of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar,
where Husk has been serving rural
communities since 2008, including
thousands of micro, small and
medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).
IREDA is a State-owned non-
banking financial institution (NBFI)
under the administrative control
of India's Ministry of New and
Renewable Energy (MNRE). It
promotes, develops, and extends
financial assistance to renewable
Image for representation only
Jan–Mar 2022
9
Image for representation only
market in India. Such integrated
renewable energy and storage
projects, offering solutions superior to
conventional energy sources in terms
of dispatchability and round-the-clock
supply, reflect the growing maturity of
the renewable sector in India."
Shivanand Nimbargi, MD & CEO
of Ayana Renewable Power said:
"This transaction marks the first time
two Independent power producers
have joined hands to facilitate the
decarbonization goals of industrial
clients in India by developing storage
infrastructure that will support India's
commitment to creating 500 GW of
RE capacity by 2030 and reducing
the emissions intensity of GDP by 45
percent by 2030."
energy projects.
"The IREDA financing
demonstrates the Government of
India's vision in making microgrids
an integral part of its net-zero goal
put forward at COP26," said Husk
CEO and Co-Founder Manoj Sinha.
Husk recently signed an Energy
Compact with the United Nations,
committing to build 5,000 microgrids
with 1 million connections by 2030 in
India, Nigeria, and other countries in
South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY NEWS
 10

Ministry of Power releases Green

Hydrogen/ Ammonia policy
H2

Hydrogen Hydrogen
and ammonia
are envisaged
to be the future fuels to replace
fossil fuels. Production of these
fuels by using power from
renewable energy - termed green
hydrogen and green ammonia -
is one of the major requirements
towards environmentally
sustainable energy security of the
nation. The government of India
is taking various measures to
facilitate the transition from fossil
fuel/fossil fuel-based feedstocks to
green hydrogen / green ammonia.
In the direction of the same,
the Ministry of Power has notified
that it has released the Green
Hydrogen policy, a major step in
this endeavor.
The policy provides as follows:
● Green Hydrogen / Ammonia
manufacturers may purchase
renewable power from the power
Image for representation only
exchange or set up renewable
energy capacity themselves or
through any other, developer, ● The manufacturers of green set up bunkers near ports for
anywhere. hydrogen / ammonia and the storage of green ammonia for
● Open access will be granted renewable energy plant shall export/use by shipping. The
within 15 days of receipt of the be given connectivity to the grid land for the storage for this
application. on a priority basis to avoid any purpose shall be provided by
● The Green Hydrogen / Ammonia procedural delays. the respective Port Authorities at
manufacturer can bank his ● The benefit of Renewable applicable charges.
unconsumed renewable power, Purchase Obligation (RPO) The implementation of this
for up to 30 days, with the will be granted incentive Policy will provide clean fuel to
distribution company and take it to the hydrogen/ammonia the common people of the country.
back when required. manufacturer and the distribution This will reduce dependence on
● Distribution licensees can licensee for consumption of fossil fuels and reduce crude oil
also procure and supply RE renewable power. imports. The objective also is for
to the manufacturers of green ● To ensure ease of doing business our country to emerge as an export
hydrogen / ammonia in their a single portal for carrying out all Hub for green hydrogen / ammonia.
States at concessional prices, the activities including statutory Prime Minister Narendra
which will only include the clearances in a time-bound Modi launched the National
cost of procurement, wheeling manner will be set up by MNRE. Hydrogen Mission on India's 75th
charges, and a small margin ● Connectivity, at the generation Independence Day (August 15,
as determined by the State end and the green hydrogen / 2021). The Mission aims to aid the
Commission. ammonia manufacturing end, government in meeting its climate
● Waiver of inter-State transmission to the ISTS for RE capacity targets and making India a green
charges for 25 years will be set up for manufacturing green hydrogen hub. This is supposed to
allowed to the manufacturers of hydrogen / ammonia shall be help meet the target of production of
green hydrogen/ammonia for the granted on priority. 5 million tons of green hydrogen by
projects commissioned before ● Manufacturers of green hydrogen 2030 and the related development
June 30, 2025. / ammonia shall be allowed to of renewable energy capacity.

EMERGING TECHNOLOGY NEWS Jan–Mar 2022


Adani, Ballard Power MoU for investment in
H2 fuel cell
Adani Group and Ballard Power
Systems have announced that they
have partnered to explore a joint
investment in hydrogen fuel cell
manufacturing in India. Under the
MoU, both parties will assess various
options to cooperate, including
potential collaboration for fuel cell
manufacturing in India, Adani group
said in a statement.
Efforts under the MoU will be
anchored by Adani New Industries
Limited (ANIL) - the newly formed
subsidiary of Adani Enterprises
- focused on the generation
of green hydrogen, including
downstream products, green
electricity generation, manufacture
vishal.morab@ces-ltd.com
11
of electrolyzers and wind turbines,
among others.
"Green hydrogen is the fuel of the
future and fuel cells will be a game-
changer in India's energy transition,"
said Vneet S Jaain, Director - ANIL.
"Our ability to build a world-class
green hydrogen value chain will
be critical in facilitating the energy
transition and we are excited to Image for representation only
partner with Ballard, a global leader
in fuel cell technology, to create a MacEwen, Ballard's President &
shared fuel cell ecosystem in India. CEO, in a statement. “India signifies
“We are excited to partner a new growth opportunity for Ballard,
with Adani given Gautam Adani's and we look forward to working
inspiring leadership and the highly with the Adani group to support and
complementary assets across accelerate their energy transition and
the group portfolio,” stated Randy decarbonization goals,” he added.
Jan–Mar 2022 EMERGING TECHNOLOGY NEWS
 12

MHI approves 20 companies under

‘Champion OEM Incentive Scheme’
Ministry of
E-mobility Heavy Industries
(MHI) India has
announced
that it has received a total of 115
applications from companies under
the Production Linked Incentive
(PLI) Scheme for Automobile and
Auto Component Industry in India,
which was notified on September
23, 2021.
Incentives are applicable under
the scheme for Determined Sales of
Advanced Automotive Technology
(AAT) products (vehicles and
components) manufactured in India
from April 1, 2022 onwards, for a
period of 5 consecutive years. Image for representation only
The government approved the
PLI Scheme for enhancing India's investments in the automotive MHI has processed the
manufacturing capabilities for manufacturing value chain. Its prime applications received under
advanced automotive products objectives include overcoming cost two categories of the scheme:
with a budgetary outlay of `25,938 disabilities, creating economies of the Champion OEM Incentive
crore. The scheme for Automobile scale, and building a robust supply Scheme, for which 20 applicants
and Auto component industry chain in areas of AAT products. It (along with their 12 subsidiaries)
proposes financial incentives to will also generate employment. This have been approved; and the
boost domestic manufacturing of scheme will facilitate the Automobile Component Champion Incentive
Advanced Automotive Technology Industry to move up the value chain Scheme, for which applications are
(AAT) products and attract into higher value-added products. being processed separately.

Revised guidelines for public EV charging

The Union Ministry of Power (MoP)
has recently issued the revised
and consolidated guidelines
and standards for EV charging
infrastructure in the country.
'Charging Infrastructure for
Electric Vehicles—Guidelines and
Standards' was released on January
14, 2022, which describes the
roles and responsibilities of various
stakeholders at the central and State
level for the expeditious deployment
of public EV charging infrastructure
in India.
The latest amendments to the EV
charging guidelines and standards
touch upon the following aspects:
● To provide an affordable tariff
chargeable by public EV charging
station operators and owners and
Electric Vehicle (EV) owners.
● Enable owners to charge EVs
at their residences or offices
using their existing electricity
connections.
● A revenue-sharing model has
been suggested for land use
to make a public charging
station financially viable from an
operational perspective.
● Timelines prescribed for providing
connectivity to the Public Charging
Station (PCS) for faster rollout of
public charging of EVs.
● Technical requirements for public
charging stations have been
elaborated.
With the lack of adequate
charging infrastructure seen as a
key impediment for accelerating the
adoption of EVs in India, the union
government is making a 360-degree
approach to enhance public charging
infrastructure by involving private
and public agencies.
In this regard, MoP plans to have
charging stations in an area of a
3×3 km grid. Currently, India has a
total of 1640 operational public EV
chargers. Out of which, 9 big cities
namely: Surat, Pune, Ahmedabad,
Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Delhi,
Kolkata, Mumbai, and Chennai
account for approximately 940
stations.
Interestingly, the government
has increased its focus initially
on these 9 megacities (with a
population of over 4 million).
Efforts are in place, through

EMERGING TECHNOLOGY NEWS Jan–Mar 2022


various implementing agencies, to
speed up the deployment of public
EV charging infrastructure. There
has been the additional installation
of 678 public EV charging stations
between October 2021 to January
2022 in these 9 cities, which
is about 2.5 times the earlier
numbers.
These developments have
exhibited greater confidence among
the consumers to shift towards
e-mobility. After the saturation of EV
infrastructure in these megacities,
the government also has plans to
expand the coverage to other cities
in a phased manner.
In addition, the Department
of Heavy Industry has recently
sanctioned 1,576 public charging
stations for 25 highways and
expressways, which shall be located
every 25 km on both sides of these
routes.
Oil marketing companies have
also announced the setting up of
Okinawa ramps up manufacturing capacity
E-2W manufacturer Okinawa
Autotech has ramped up its
manufacturing capacity by
commencing operations at its
second manufacturing unit located
in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan. With this
facility as a hub of modernization
and technology with top-notch
infrastructure and machinery, the
Okinawa's second manufacturing unit located in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan
Source: Okinawa Autotech
Image for representation only
Source: Ashok Thakur, ETN
22,000 charging stations in prominent
cities and on national highways
across the country. Of these,
10,000 will be installed by IOCL,
company claims to have geared up
for the next level of innovation in
e-2W manufacturing.
"This development, amongst our
other initiatives, is a testament to our
unrelenting commitment towards
our vision of 'Made in India, Made
for India'. The market is evolving
at a fast pace, and the ramped-up
Jan–Mar 2022
13
7,000 stations by Bharat Petroleum
Corporation Ltd. (BPCL), and 5,000
by Hindustan Petroleum Corporation
Ltd. (HPCL).
capacity will undoubtedly aid us
in bolstering the mass transition
to e-mobility with a diverse and
innovative product portfolio," said
Jeetender Sharma, MD & Founder
- Okinawa Autotech.
Okinawa will be manufacturing
close to 3 lakh EVs per year at the
new plant, which will eventually be
increased to a capacity of 1 million in
the next 2-3 years, according to the
company. It will be investing close
to `250 crore in the development of
its new facilities and will be making
further gradual strategic investments
to scale up the production.
The company's previous plant,
located in Alwar, Rajasthan has an
annual capacity of 1,80,000 units. In
order to meet the growing demand for
its e-scooters, Okinawa has a well-
knit dealership network with over 400
centers catering to the metro as well
as tier 2, tier 3, and rural markets in
the country. Recently, the company
has also introduced two 'Okinawa
Galaxy’ stores, the state-of-the-art
experience centers in Dehradun and
Jaipur.
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY NEWS
 14
Mahindra Electric, CSC to promote rural EV
adoption
Mahindra Electric Mobility Ltd
(MEML) has announced that it has
partnered with Common Service
Centres (CSC), a government
organization that helps employ
in rural India, to encourage the
adoption of electric vehicles.
Through this alliance with, MEML
will offer its range of EVs like the
Treo and Alfa to aspiring customers
in the rural markets, the company
informed. MEML CEO Suman Mishra
said: ''Such tie-ups can provide
gainful employment opportunities for
the educated youth in India to earn a
proud livelihood.''
Ashok Leyland to set up EV manufacturing
plant
Ashok Leyland has announced that it
plans to set up a new manufacturing
facility in the country to roll out
EVs. The Chennai-based company
has also lined up a `500 crore
investment to develop powertrains
based on alternative fuels like
CNG, hydrogen, and electric for its
commercial vehicles range
The company has already
announced a $200 million
(~ `1,500 crore) investment through
its UK-based arm Switch Mobility
for e-mobility.
Commercial EV ‘Bada Dost’
Source: Ashok Leyland
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY NEWS Jan–Mar 2022
The earning ability with Mahindra
e-3Ws is quite high while the
maintenance is the lowest when
compared to conventional fuel
vehicles and the benefit to the
environment is significant, she
added. ''This tie-up will help us
to penetrate rural markets and
propagate the use of electric
vehicles, thereby helping India
achieve its EV mission quicker.''
CSC engages Village Level
Entrepreneurs (VLEs) to enable a
smoother operation and they form the
connection between customers and
original equipment manufacturers
The commercial vehicle company
plans to expand its EV portfolio
as well as develop new engines,
keeping in mind the changing market
requirements in the domestic as
well as international markets.
"In Spain, we are coming up
with a manufacturing facility and
R&D centre and there are plans to
grow this over the next few years.
In India, we will be optimizing the
facilities that are available with
Ashok Leyland. But I'm sure very
soon we will require an independent
facility as well. And that
is something that is
being looked at by the
management team,"
Ashok Leyland Executive
Chairman Dheeraj Hinduja
said.
"We are looking at all the
opportunities and options
available, so that capacity
never becomes an issue if
the market requires more
products. So, I wouldn't
put a date to it right now.
But we are keeping all our
Mahindra’s Alfa e-3W
Source: Mahindra Electric Mobility
(OEMs). VLEs spread awareness
of the government initiatives in
villages.
alternatives and options open."
On the company's EV product
plans, he said Dost and Bada Dost
models would be utilized to cater
to the domestic and the SAARC
markets. "We are also looking at the
production of a brand-new LCV (light
commercial vehicle) range from
the perspective of Switch, which
will be for the European, UK and
the US markets," Mr. Hinduja said.
The company has electrified Dost
and Bada Dost, and prototypes are
currently running. "We are looking
at Q4 of 2022 to be able to start
production of our electric LCV from
Switch's perspective."
Ashok Leyland is investing
around `500-700 crore for products
for the domestic market, while
Switch plans to spend close to $200
million in the next two-three years
for the development of their new
products. Over the next decade,
alternative powertrains comprising
battery electric and fuel cell electric
will emerge, and Ashok Leyland has
dedicated teams focusing on the
development of these segments.

Hero MotoCorp, Bharat Petroleum to set up
EV charging across India
Hero MotoCorp two-wheeler
manufacturer based in India, and
Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd
(BPCL), a Public Sector Undertaking
(PSU) have joined hands to set
up EV charging infrastructure for
e-2Ws across the country.
"Sustainability has been a key
pillar of growth within the Hero
MotoCorp global ecosystem. Now,
with our Vision 'Be the Future
of Mobility' we are aggressively
advancing our initiatives towards the
technologies and solutions that will
empower all individuals, societies,
and industries to contribute towards
the planet's environmental targets,"
said Pawan Munjal, Chairman &
CEO - Hero MotoCorp.
The two entities are expected
to first establish large-scale EV
charging infrastructure at the existing
nationwide energy station network,
and may subsequently broaden their
Bajaj Auto invests `300 crore towards EV
manufacturing
Bajaj Auto, Indian two-wheeler
and three-wheeler manufacturer,
announced an investment of
`300 crore (USD 40 million) for a
brand-new unit at its Akurdi plant
in Pune for manufacturing EVs.
Akurdi is the same place and site
Bajaj Chetak Red 02L
partnership to develop cooperation
within the EV ecosystem and
adjacent business verticals.
In the first phase, charging stations
will be set up across nine cities
starting with Delhi and Bengaluru.
The network will be then expanded
across the country with the aim to
establish a high density of charging
stations. Each charging station will
feature multiple charging points
including DC and AC chargers and
will be available for use to all e-2Ws.
The entire user charging experience
will be controlled by a Hero MotoCorp
Mobile-App and will be a cashless
transaction mode.
"India's personal mobility is
primarily driven by two-wheelers that
form the largest part of our valued
customer base and the two-wheeler
segment has been the early adopter
of EVs," commented Arun Kumar
Singh, Chairman & MD - BPCL.
where the original Chetak scooter
factory, that made Bajaj Auto a
household name in India, was
manufactured. The company plans
to produce 500,000 EVs per annum
through this facility and the first
vehicle from this unit is expected to
be rolled out by
June 2022.
"In 2001 Bajaj
2.0 took off
on the roaring
Pulsar, in 2021
Bajaj 3.0 arrives
on the charming
Chetak. Going
forward, for the
Bajaj portfolio,
except for
implementing
one state-of-the-
art ICE platform
that is currently
Jan–Mar 2022
15
BPCL service station
Source: BPCL
As a part of the collaboration BPCL
will be converting 7,000 conventional
retail outlets into 'Energy Stations'
providing multiple fueling options,
including EV charging facility in the
medium to long term.
under development, all our R&D
drive train resources are now laser-
focused on creating EV solutions for
the future," informed Rajiv Bajaj, MD
- Bajaj Auto Ltd.
"This alignment reflects our
belief that light electric vehicles for
sustainable urban mobility is an idea
whose time may finally have come."
In addition to the `300 crore
investments made by Bajaj Auto,
a number of other vendors are
expected to further invest to the tune
of `250 crore ($33 million).
Bajaj shared that the new unit is
spread over half a million sq. feet and
will employ about 800 people. The
plant will have advanced robotic and
automated manufacturing systems
for all operations including logistics
and material handling, fabrication
and painting, assembly, and quality
assurance.
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY NEWS
 16 INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Gogoro launches swappable solid-
state EV battery prototype
Energy Gogoro Inc. has
Storage announced the
world's first solid-
state lithium ceramic
battery prototype for two-wheel
battery swapping. Jointly developed
by Gogoro and ProLogium
Technology, the new Gogoro solid-
state battery prototype integrates
with Gogoro's existing vehicles and
swapping network.
"We must take advantage of
the latest battery innovations to
introduce a new era of electric
transportation growth and adoption
in our cities," said Horace Luke,
Founder, Chairman & CEO of
Gogoro.
"We partnered with ProLogium
Technology, a global leader in
solid-state battery innovation, to
jointly develop this new battery that
delivers higher energy density for
Redwood Materials partners with Ford, Volvo
for EV battery recycling
Founded by former Tesla CTO
JB Straubel, Redwood Materials
has announced that it is launching
an EV battery recycling program
in California with Ford and Volvo
as initial partners, as pressure
mounts to obtain materials for
EVs.
Image for representation only
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY NEWS Jan–Mar 2022
better range, improved stability and
safety, and is reverse compatible
with all existing Gogoro-powered
vehicles."
As the next generation of battery
chemistry, solid-state lithium ceramic
batteries are expected to replace
traditional lithium-ion batteries and
become the mainstream power
source for EVs and consumer
electronics. Solid-state batteries
provide higher energy density and
deliver a greater range for electric
vehicles. Gogoro estimates that its
solid-state batteries will increase the
capacity of current lithium batteries
by 140 percent or greater, from 1.7
kWh to 2.5 kWh.
"As leading global battery
innovators, Gogoro and ProLogium
have partnered to jointly design
solid-state battery prototypes that
integrate with Gogoro's battery
The basic plan is that Redwood
Materials will work with dealers
and dismantlers in California to
recover end-of-life battery packs
in hybrid and EVs. Straubel said
the program will be free for those
turning in vehicle batteries. The cost
of retrieving, properly packaging,
Source: Gogoro Inc
swapping network and two-wheel
vehicles," said Vincent Yang,
Founder & CEO of ProLogium
Technology.
"Solid-state battery technologies
present a new phase in the future
of EVs, and we look forward to
advancing this Gogoro prototype
battery into a commercial offering in
the future."
and then transporting the batteries
back to Redwood's recycling facility
in northern Nevada will be shared by
the startup along with partners Volvo
and Ford. Redwood will accept all
lithium-ion and nickel-metal hydride
batteries in the State, regardless of
the make or model of the vehicle.
"It is messy right now and there's
not a great, you know, obvious, clear
solution to people," Straubel said.
“That is a key part of what we want
to change and make it as easy as
humanly possible, for everyone in
the United States initially, and in the
world more broadly to very simply
recycle batteries and make sure
those materials are recovered in
very high percentage."
Redwood has launched a portal
that scrapyards and dealers can
use to organize the retrieval of the
batteries. The pilot program is still at
an early stage with some parts not
clearly defined.

Sunverge, ComEd tie up for FTM residential
BESS
Sunverge Energy has announced that
it has been selected by Commonwealth
Edison (ComEd) to provide a battery
energy storage solution to enhance
feeder-level system reliability and
resiliency and reduce the duration and
frequency of customer outages.
The front-of-the-meter residential
project provides ComEd with an
alternative to traditional distribution-
level grid hardening solutions.
"ComEd has distinguished itself as
an innovator and is one of the most
reliable electricity delivery companies
in the nation, so we're honored to
partner with them on this initiative,"
said Martin Milani, CEO of Sunverge
Energy.
"The Sunverge platform is designed
to work with upstream and midstream
utility grid management systems,
Eurocell EMEA plans giga factory in Western Europe
Anglo-Korean battery company,
Eurocell EMEA has announced that it
plans to build its first European giga
factory in just 12 months —faster than
other giga factories.
This is possible, the company
states, because it has a proven
battery product ready for scaled-up
manufacturing. Eurocell EMEA is a joint
venture between FIC EMEA and three
Korean battery technology companies:
Eurocell, FIC Advanced Materials, and
Indong Advanced Materials.
With an early £600 million ($813
million) investment planned over two
phases, it aims to supply European
Artist impression of the giga factory
Source: Eurocell EMEA
which allows for the smooth integration
of feeder-tied energy storage systems
into core distribution grid planning and
operations."
Unlike typical residential battery
applications, this project focuses on
an innovative new approach: locating
the energy storage systems in front of
the residential meter and integrating
tightly with utility distribution SCADA.
This application will result in a new
technique where the systems are not
installed on the customer premises
and where traditional solutions are
not a good economic, technical, or
locational fit.
The front-of-the-meter application
will showcase the versatility of
the Sunverge platform's indirect
distribution grid management,
confirming its value capture from
energy storage, automotive, and
e-mobility applications. Full capacity
will be reached as early as 2025.
The company states it will mass-
produce and export its batteries from
one of three key markets: the UK, the
Netherlands, or Spain. It is already
aggressively looking at sites and the
final choice is heavily reliant on gaining
the right level of central government
support and investment.
Eurocell says that its batteries,
developed in Korea, last ten times
longer than conventional lithium-
ion cells. A wide range of operating
temperatures also makes the Eurocell
cells suited to areas with extreme
weather and without an existing grid
network.
The Eurocell batteries blend
NCM cathodes with graphite/silicon
composite anodes in a prismatic form
factor.
Recardo Bruins, CEO Eurocell
EMEA stated: "Eurocell in the UK
is a new company, led by a highly
experienced UK team and backed
by our South Korean partner
with decades of experience in
Jan–Mar 2022
17
Source: Sunverge Energy
consumer to grid operator. The
learnings and standards developed
from the project will be scaled for large-
scale utility-owned front-of-the-meter
assets to enhance residential feeder
reliability and resiliency. The project is
expected to be completed in 2022.
electrochemistry, making batteries
at mass-scale and building the giga
factories to produce them. Now we
are planning to rapidly expand in
Europe, supplying the energy storage
and automotive industries with our
market-leading technologies that last
longer, perform better, and are 100
percent safe. These products can be
on the market in months, not years."
"To fulfill our mission, we are
actively seeking a European
manufacturing base and are in
advanced discussions with sites in
the UK, Netherlands, and Spain. With
the right level of central engagement
and support, we are keen to take
advantage of the rapidly growing
European market as quickly as
possible," Mr. Bruins further added.
Eurocell aims to construct its new
giga factory in two phases. The first
phase will begin producing advanced
battery cells at scale by early 2023
for existing customers. In parallel, a
bespoke facility will be constructed on
the same site, capable of producing
more than 40 million cells per year
by 2025.
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY NEWS
 18
Britishvolt raises £40 million from Glencore for
setting up giga factory in Northumberland
Battery startup Britishvolt has
announced that it has raised £40
million funding from mining giant
Glencore as it drives ahead with
plans to build a major giga factory in
Northumberland.
The funding from Glencore comes
as part of a £200 million fundraise
for Britishvolt, open to new and
existing investors, which will be used
to fuel the development of its battery
manufacturing facility.
Glencore's new backing of the
company comes at a considerably
higher valuation than its earlier
commitment to Britishvolt, which
US DOE to bolster supply chain for advanced batteries
The U.S. Department of Energy
(DOE) has announced that it
has issued two notices of intent
to provide $2.91 billion to boost
production of the advanced batteries
that are critical to rapidly growing
clean energy industries of the future,
including EVs and energy storage,
as directed by the Bipartisan
Infrastructure Law.
The Department proposes to
fund battery materials refining and
production plants, battery cell and
pack manufacturing facilities, and
recycling facilities that create good-
paying clean energy jobs. The
funding is expected to be made
available in the coming months and
will ensure that the United States
can produce batteries, as well as
the materials that go into them, to
increase economic competitiveness,
energy independence, and national
security.
Image for representation only
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY NEWS Jan–Mar 2022
valued it at more than $1 billion, the
firm stated.
Glencore has also earlier pledged
to supply the company's planned
giga factory in the Northeast with
cobalt for use in the development of
batteries.
The latest funding round comes
after Britishvolt raised £1.7 billion
from warehouse provider Tritax
and investment firm Abrdn to
channel into the construction of its
Northumberland factory.
The government has also thrown
its weight behind the company with
a grant of £100 million from the
In June 2021, DOE published
a 100-day review of the large-
capacity battery supply chain,
according to Executive Order 14017,
America's Supply Chains. The
review recommended establishing
domestic production and processing
capabilities for critical materials to
support a fully domestic end-to-
end battery supply chain. President
Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure
Law allocates nearly $7 billion to
strengthen the U.S. battery supply
chain, which includes producing
and recycling critical minerals
without new extraction or mining,
and sourcing materials for domestic
manufacturing.
"As electric cars and trucks
continue to grow in popularity within
the U.S. and around the world, we
must seize the chance to make
advanced batteries — the heart of
this growing industry — right here
at home," said U.S. Secretary of
Energy Jennifer M. Granholm.
"With funding from Bipartisan
Infrastructure Law, we're making
it possible to establish a thriving
battery supply chain in the U.S."
With the global lithium-ion battery
market expected to grow rapidly over
the next decade, DOE is making it
possible for the U.S. to be prepared
for market demand. Responsible
Britishvolt factory, Northumberland
Source: Britishvolt
Automotive Transformation Fund,
which it is drawing on to convince
battery manufacturers into setting up
a base in the UK.
and sustainable domestic sourcing
of the critical materials used to make
Li-ion batteries — such as lithium,
cobalt, nickel, and graphite — will
help close the gap in supply chain
disruptions and accelerate battery
production in America.
Funding from the Bipartisan
Infrastructure Law will allow DOE
to support the creation of new,
retrofitted, and expanded domestic
facilities for battery recycling and
the production of battery materials,
cell components, and battery
manufacturing.
The funding will also support
research, development, and
demonstration of second-life
applications for batteries once
used to power EVs, as well as new
processes for recycling, reclaiming,
and adding materials back into the
battery supply chain.
Both forthcoming opportunities are
aligned with the National Blueprint for
Lithium Batteries, guidance released
last year by the Federal Consortium
for Advanced Batteries and led by
DOE alongside the Departments of
Defense, Commerce, and State. The
blueprint details a path to equitably
ensuring a domestic battery supply
and accelerating the development
of a robust and secure domestic
industrial base by 2030.
 19

Powin inks supply agreement for BESS in US

& Taiwan
Powin LLC has announced that it
has signed framework agreements
with four developers to purchase
5,800 MWh of battery energy
storage systems to be allocated
across multiple projects in the
United States and Taiwan. The
energy storage systems will be
delivered in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
As a part of the framework
agreements, Powin will provide fully
integrated battery energy storage
systems including cells, battery
management, stacks, enclosures,
cabling, transformers, inverters,
and all software and controls Centipede BESS platform
system. Most of these supply Source: Powin LLC
agreements will utilize Powin's
Centipede platform produced in Geoff Brown, CEO of Powin, said: agreements are with some of the
North America. "We are pleased to reach these industry's most well-respected
Powin will be responsible landmark framework agreements developers with healthy pipelines
for commissioning the battery with a number of our customers. of projects located near some of
energy storage systems and With the significant strides that the largest power hubs throughout
for providing ongoing long-term Powin has made as a company the American West and Northeast,
services including onsite O&M, in the previous 12 months, these as well as Asia. The framework
battery augmentation, and 20-year agreements signify that we have agreements will ensure that our
extended warranties for all projects built a superior level of trust within customers will have Powin products
included under these agreements. the energy storage industry. These to build their projects."

To place an order for your copy and for more information write to: vishal.morab@ces-ltd.com

Jan–Mar 2022 EMERGING TECHNOLOGY NEWS

 20

Neste, Marathon Petroleum JV for

renewable fuels production in the US
Renewable Neste Corporation
Energy has announced
that it has
signed definitive
agreements for the establishment of
a 50/50 joint venture with US-based
Marathon Petroleum.
The joint venture will produce
renewable diesel following a
conversion project of Marathon's
refinery in Martinez, California (the
Martinez Renewable Fuels project).
The closing of the joint venture
is subject to customary closing
conditions and regulatory approvals,
including obtaining the necessary
permits, which depend upon Source:  Marathon Petroleum
certification of a final Environmental
Impact Report. The partnership will further Our ongoing Singapore expansion
Neste's total investment will strengthen our footprint in the U.S., project and this joint venture will
amount to approximately €0.9 billion as we will have a broad value chain increase our total production
($1.0 billion), inclusive of half of that covers feedstock sourcing to capacity of renewable products
the total project development costs renewables production and sales in to 5.5 million tons by the end of
projected through the completion of the U.S. We are thrilled to partner 2023 and we will be the only global
the project. The project is expected with Marathon: we both share an provider of renewable products
to increase Neste's renewable ambition in offering more high- with a production footprint in North
products capacity by slightly over 1 quality, lower-emission renewable America, Asia, and Europe.”
million tons (365 million US gallons) products, thus helping customers to Through this joint venture, Neste
per annum. Production of renewable achieve their sustainability goals," obtains a 50 percent interest in the
diesel is expected to come online in stated Peter Vanacker, President & Martinez Renewable Fuels project.
the second half of 2022. The facility CEO – Neste. The production output will be split
is planned to reach its full annual "We have committed to helping evenly between the joint venture
nameplate capacity of 2.1 million our customers decrease their partners, and each partner will be
tons (730 million US gallons) by the greenhouse gas emissions responsible to market the products
end of 2023. by at least 20 million tons of under its brand and responsibility.
"This is a very important step in CO2 annually by 2030. This joint The facility will be operated by
our renewables growth strategy venture will help us in exceeding Marathon, which has long experience
execution. The location of the facility our commitment as it will bring a as a leading refinery operator and in
is in the middle of the growing substantial amount of renewable executing major Capex projects in
renewable fuel market in California. diesel to our customers in the U.S. the U.S.

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EMERGING TECHNOLOGY NEWS Jan–Mar 2022


Enapter to launch EL 4.0 AEM electrolyser,
aims to simplify H2 production
H2
The cleantech
Hydrogen company
Enapter has
announced that
it is launching the first standardized
electrolyzer suitable for mass
production. In doing so, it seeks to
boost the green hydrogen market by
mirroring the success seen with the
commodification, rapid uptake, and
cost reductions of standardized solar
modules. The AEM Electrolyser EL
4.0 is a one-size-fits-all solution for
green hydrogen production – and
the next step in replacing fossil
fuels.
The EL 4.0 is the fourth
generation AEM (anion exchange
membrane) Electrolyzer Enapter
has been developed since 2017
– and the new version is smaller,
lighter, and ISO 22734 certifiable.
Enapter's technology combines the
benefits of alkaline electrolyzers'
low-cost materials (steel instead
of titanium) with the flexibility and
compact size of PEM electrolyzers.
The standardized modules can be
stacked and combined for projects
MAN Energy Solutions to invest in H-TEC SYSTEMS
for H2 production
MAN Energy Solutions has
announced that it will invest up
to €500 million in its subsidiary
H-TEC SYSTEMS to transform the
hydrogen specialist into a mass-
producer of PEM electrolyzers as
quickly as possible.
Uwe Lauber, CEO - MAN
Energy Solutions stated: "We are
transforming H-TEC SYSTEMS into
Source: H-TEC Systems
of any size – to the megawatt scale,
where Enapter's AEM Multicore
comes into play based on identical
AEM stack technology.
With its new model, Enapter
wants to meet the strong demand
for easily installable and integrable
electrolysers. Customers have
already made more than 400 orders,
even before the market launch.
Enapter has over 100 integration
partners installing its green hydrogen
generators around the world, driving
decarbonization forward in sectors
ranging from energy through to
mobility, industry, and the built
environment. The EL 4.0's simple
plug-&-play integration significantly
shortens the installation time for
these integration partners.
"The next milestone on our
mission: Replacing fossil fuels with
green hydrogen", says Sebastian-
Justus Schmidt, Co-Founder & CEO
- Enapter.
"The EL 4.0 will become a
building block for system integrators,
letting them rapidly deploy hydrogen
production and enact the market
one of the world's leading players in
the field of PEM electrolysis. Over
the next five to ten years, green
hydrogen will become one of the
most important primary energy
sources for the global economy as it
continues to decarbonize. With PEM
electrolysis, H-TEC SYSTEMS has
mastered one of the most important
processes for industrially scaled
hydrogen production from renewable
energy sources. The technology is
mature and has already been placed
on the market successfully. The next
step is, therefore, to scale and set up
highly automated serial production
– and we would like to make rapid
progress with this."
Gunnar Kilian, Chairman of the
Jan–Mar 2022
21
AEM Electrolyser EL 4.0
Source: Enapter
ramp-up the world needs. We are
sure that the future mass production
of these AEM Electrolyzers will
fundamentally change the production
of green hydrogen."
Series production of the new
electrolyzers is currently taking place
at Enapter's Pisa, Italy site. First
deliveries to integrators are planned
for the summer. Mass production
(> 10.000 AEM EL 4.0 modules
per month) is scheduled to begin
incrementally from 2023 onwards
at the Enapter Campus – which is
now under construction in Saerbeck,
Germany.
Supervisory Board of MAN Energy
Solutions and Member of the Board
of Volkswagen AG, underlines that
the Volkswagen Group supports
these growth plans: "On the path
toward achieving climate neutrality,
hydrogen plays a key role for sectors
such as international shipping or
industrial processes in which direct
electrification is not possible. It is
therefore essential for our subsidiary
MAN Energy Solutions to continue
to strengthen its strategic position
in the future market for power-to-X
technology and synthetic fuels with
investment in hydrogen production.
Only by coordinating our efforts will
we achieve our shared objective of
climate neutrality."
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY NEWS
 22

Sony, Honda join hands for

developing EVs
A second key aspect is collaboration. The dimension of the battery manufacturing
project fromSonymining through
Group and to the finished product is a massive undertaking and very
E-mobility
difficult for aHonda
single organization
Motor to tackle single-handedly. We should also focus on
leveraging our strengths,
have announced like the electronics part of the battery system; strengthen-
ing and fortifying
MoU toour expertise in that particular area, would seem like a viable strat-
develop
electric
egyvehicles.
to startThe partners hope
with.
to launch the joint venture this year
Above
and market theirall,
firstwe
EVneed
modeltoininvest in our research efforts, so as to keep ahead in tech-
2025.nology.
Honda Notwill make
in stepthewith
cars,
the world, but always one step ahead. Asians are known for
whiletheir
Sony intellectual
will oversee developing
capabilities, so why not put it in play. The field is open and still level,
entertainment,
one that network,
has the and othertechnology stays on top of things.
winning
mobility services.
"We would like to contribute
The benchmarks haveto been set by the European Green Deal standards; levels
the evolution
have beenof mobility
put inthrough
place.ourThat is a fair amount of research and time saved for the rest
partnership
of us. with
We Honda,
shouldwhichfocushason achieving these standards – on achieving a quality which
globalbrings
experience
with itand knowledge
reliability.
in the automotive industry and has Sony Vision-S concept e-car
led the Weindustry
should withalso
progressive
bring backSource: Sony the importance of shared mobility for a county
to mind
approaches,"
as populous statedas Sony
India. CEO
We should use this transition to de-congest our roads by imple-
Kenichiro Yoshida. the possibilities," said Honda CEO new EV business that will generate
menting a standard of public transport that is reliable, clean and effective. India has
"We would like to combine Toshihiro Mibe. recurring revenues from services,
a great opportunity lined up; let’s
the technological assets of both
not miss the bus!
In January, Sony said the including software and content
companies and ambitiously pursue company was planning to develop a updates.

EMERGING TECHNOLOGY NEWS Jan–Mar 2022 Sept–Oct 2021 |

 TM

Starter Motor Alternators Wiping Systems Motors Ignition Systems Filtration E-Mobility Solutions Aftermarket Auto Electricals Semisolid Lithium Battery
24 COVER STORY

Year of the Li-ion: Time to

scale up
You can hear it … almost distinctly now… the footfall of the battery era. It’s
here to stay one would like to believe, for a lot rests on it; the present and
most definitely the future. This year, the overwhelming response to the
PLI schemes has proved that India’s time to step up as a manufacturer-
supplier of batteries and parts has begun. All efforts now should be
towards scaling up – the hard work, the investments, the ventures, and
most importantly the belief.

F
or the energy storage industry,
the air is euphoric. There is a lot
to be excited about: favourable
policies, inviting sops, encouraging
growth in EV sales, promising
productive alliances, etc. The
government push for battery cell
manufacturing in India on a larger
scale had begun a while ago, but the
proverbial ball started rolling with
the introduction of the PLI schemes
for ACC and electric vehicles.
This year’s budget furthered
the aspirations by announcing
allocations for the growth of RE,
grid integration, e-mobility and
charging, among other things. This
has brought to fore the important
role energy storage will play in the
immediate future.
The PLI schemes are intended
to promote local manufacturing of
battery cells and auto components
through suitable policies and
subsidies. Widely welcomed by
industry leaders, the schemes are
considered a concrete step towards
achieving self-reliance, with an
objective to achieve manufacturing
capacity of 50GWh of ACC and
5GWh of ‘niche’ ACC, with an
outlay of `18,000 crore; and to
enhance manufacturing capabilities
of Advanced Automotive Products
(ATT), with an outlay of `25,938
crore.
It is expected that the incentives
would encourage the industry
to promote fresh investments in
indigenous supply chains and help
secure localization for battery and
EV manufacturing in the country.
Having said that, there has also
been speculation that the high
qualification criteria might not
attract heavy endorsement of the
scheme.
“PLIs have certainly triggered the
industry to take a closer look at the
business opportunities in the space.
They will partially compensate for
the handicap that the participating
businesses will experience getting
into it. That said, I don’t think
PLIs change the fundamentals of
a business case. Companies will
invest into healthy business cases
with or without PLI. PLIs will – and
should – only influence the speed at
25
“This is just the beginning of a journey. So far
India was importing cells and assembling battery
packs, now we are starting to make the dream
of ‘making in India’ a reality. At least, the next
two years will go in the hard work - to set up the
manufacturing facilities, optimize the processes,
secure the supply chain, develop skilled workforce.
etc. It will be a challenging and exciting time to
prove ‘we can do it’ in India.”
– Dr. Rahul Walawalkar
President,
IESA
“I strongly believe that PLI schemes for EV and
ACC have the potential to strengthen our strive for
making EV adoption a revolution.”
– Awadhesh Jha
Executive Director,
Fortum Charge & Drive India
“Technology and supply chains will further
mature, cost will come down, incentives are in
place, but what will control business growth most
of all is the consumer confidence and mindset,
and the speed at which the average consumer is
willing to take the bet on e-mobility and follow its
pioneering peers.”
– Stefan Louis
CEO
Nexcharge
which those companies grow,” said from around 115 applications
Stefan Louis, CEO – Nexcharge. received.
Justifying the participation qualifiers, The dream, long conceived and
he added: “The high qualification dedicatedly pursued by believers,
criteria are probably a smart safety that India’s time to enter the
mechanism to ensure that the hard- global market as a supplier has
earned tax payer’s money is spent begun its run towards realization.
wisely and effectively.” Yes, the stage is set but a lot has
While last year many biggies to be achieved yet: setting up
took a wait and watch stance, early foundations of the giga factories,
this year the government received starting construction, and possibly
totally 10 bids with capacity of 130 go live with the pilot lines next year.
GWh -- over twice the manufacturing It is desired that by 2024 production
capacity to be awarded – under will start.
the ‘National Programme on Dr. Rahul Walawalkar,
Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) President – India Energy Storage
Battery Storage’. An overwhelming Alliance (IESA) feels that the next
response was also received for couple years will be critical for India;
the PLI scheme for the automobile focus needs to be on technology
and auto components sector, with partnerships, skill development, and
almost 95 companies approved capacity building to support giga
Jan–Mar 2022 EMERGING TECHNOLOGY NEWS
 26
Source: Battery manufacturing growth in India, as envisioned by IESA
factories as well as the complete
supply chain. To enable such end-
to-end development of the sector,
IESA launched India Battery Supply
Chain Council in December 2021.
The Alliance has also set a roadmap
where India is expected to have
at least 25 GWh of manufacturing
capabilities by 2025, 70+ GWh by
2027, and cross 100 GWh by 2030.
Dr. Walawalkar is excited about
the prospects of the ACC battery
manufacturing PLI: “India has taken
the first step to realize our dream
of becoming a global hub for R&D
and manufacturing of advanced
energy storage technologies. It is
great to see that not just the four
ACC PLI winners, but additional 5+
groups are planning to go ahead
with investments in giga factories in
India in next 2-3 years.”
Research reports deduce that
India will need a minimum 10 GWh
of cells by 2022 and 50 GWh by
2025. This expectation means there
will be a rise in demand for EVs in
the coming years, and this is what
is eagerly anticipated. The general
response is that the government
mandates might be the missing link
between EVs and mass adoption.
In that aspect the subsidies
announced through PLI could well
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY NEWS Jan–Mar 2022
give a boost to local manufacturing
and intensify domestic demand
across India.
Awadhesh Jha, Executive
Director - Fortum Charge & Drive
India, feels that the implementation
of PLI schemes will impart additional
acceleration to the government’s
increasing support for adoption
of EV. He said: “With the recent
geopolitical development taking
place in Europe, and renewed
enthusiasm towards adoption of
EV shown globally in general,
and in Europe in particular, in the
year 2021, and Indian consumers
showing leap of faith in adopting
EV (record sale of EV across
segment is testimony to the same),
I have no doubt to accept that the
year 2022 would be directional for
e-mobility.”
Does BaaS fit in?
This year the budget has taken
energy transition and climate action
as focal points in its low-carbon
strategy; one of the government’s
action plans is to push battery-as-
a-service or BaaS, as an alternative
to setting up charging station in
urban areas.
Under the BaaS model, batteries
can be leased out or swapped,
bringing down the upfront cost of
an EV. Apart from reduced battery
price, battery swapping can also
help address charging time and
range issues. With swapping, there
will also be less stress on charging
infrastructure. This model promises
to bring great relief to the end
user, but is still in its early stages,
where standardization of batteries
will prove to be the main area of
concern.
Battery swapping has the
potential to revolutionize the
EV market going forward; at the
same time, there are immediate
challenges that hinder the concept.
●● The 18 percent GST that will
be charged by swapping service
providers, against the incentivized
5 percent GST applied on
purchase of an EV. Moreover,
FAME-II incentives are not
offered to vehicles sold with BaaS
or swap station operators. The
India Energy Storage Alliance
(IESA), in its recommendations
to the government has asked
that a reduction in GST rates for
batteries for EVs to 5 percent
should be considered; this will
ensure smooth transition towards
EVs without disturbing the cost
factor.

● Manufacturers preferring to
produce proprietary battery and
charging systems, might
make it difficult to set up an
interoperable battery swap
infrastructure. As the swapping
one-size-fits-all model will require
standardization, without which
EV safety will a major concern.
Mr. Louis believes that BaaS is
a great solution for specific market
segments, and will therefore capture
part of the market. He points out:
“Standardization is important for
BaaS to be successful, but the
government needs to be careful
that the creation of such standards
should not hamper innovation or
benefit specific organizations.” He
is of the opinion that the government
should not focus on technical
details, and rely on the industry to
take charge of this.
Mr. Jha too agrees on BaaS
being a great concept, with its space
in the e-mobility sector. “Battery
swapping, in my view, is a very
promising solution for 3W and 2W
delivery segment. What is needed
is standardization of form factor and
chemistry, so that an operator who
is absorbing more than 50 percent
cost of the EV should have larger
use case to get desired return on
investment. I expect the Battery
Swapping Policy to bring that
clarity.”
About the driving factors for
growth in the EV charging services
business, he said: “What awaits
our sector in terms of business
is the implementation of new
Jan–Mar 2022
27
policies in the segment, increased
investments, and the country’s
journey towards net-zero carbon
emissions by 2070. Another
important factor is the public and
private sector’s collaborative action.
Public charging infrastructure is
going to play an important role in
the next two years to give the EV
users the confidence of driving with
focus without any ‘range anxiety’.”
The most exciting offering of
the budget, perhaps, would be the
accordance of ‘infrastructure status’
to energy storage systems, including
grid scaling battery system, to
financially complement the clean
energy policy and projects. This
places energy storage in the prime
position, the benefits of which can
be translated to grid and storage,
RE integration, and
e-mobility.
So, with the
production advantages
in place, the foundation
of a value chain
beginning to take shape,
and global e-mobility
already in momentum,
India is poised at get-go.
Every year has brought
with it a pivotal moment,
we have seen launches,
spurts in demand, green
energy commitments
at global forums, key
policy decisions to fulfil
those commitments…
This year, it’s time to pull
back the sleeves and
get to the hard work. It
has become imperative
that the manufacturer,
the service provider, and
even the buyer come
together in support of the
green energy transition.
There needs to be a lot
of convincing, believing
and keeping the faith.
Nishtha Gupta-Vaghela
Consulting Editor
ETN
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY NEWS
 28 LEADERSHIP SPEAK
Powering global energy transition
through storage
In today’s climate conscious world, battery storage comes up as a
key component in achieving the shift towards sustainability through
renewables. In a question-answer session, Achal Sondhi, VP Growth
– Fluence, APAC Region, discusses the company’s supporting role in
achieving this.
Tell us about
how Fluence was
established?
Energy storage, and in particular
battery storage, is a new technology.
Learning curves and experience
curves are reducing far quicker
today. Where the gas industry might
have taken about 30 to 50 years, the
solar industry would be less than 20
and wind industry will be 25 years. I
think, battery storage has taken just
10 years to become so commercially
viable.
Back in 2008, AES was successful
in deploying one of the first 1 MWh
storage batteries in the United
States. We continue to develop and
innovate how battery storage can
support and enable a larger share
of renewables on the grid. Besides
intermittency, there were many other
aspects that AES realized it can
research and support, thus enabling
more business cases in optimizing
the grid. Over time Siemens also
became very interested in this
space because of its important
role in changing the way we power
our world and Siemens is also on
that same mission. In 2018 both
companies saw complementary
teams and expertise come together
and service the world as the storage
technology provider. That is how
Fluence formed a 50-50 partnership
between Siemens and AES.
Siemens is historically a
technology provider in the gas and
wind turbine space, and saw this
as another product that they could
build out to service the world. AES
is traditionally an Independent
Power Producer (IPP) developer,
but having such several projects
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY NEWS Jan–Mar 2022
themselves, they saw an avenue
to provide products and services to
enable other companies and utilities
to bring storage to the ground. AES
is a parent at arm’s length, with
Fluence as an independent company
governed by a Board, allowing us
to innovate and deliver products
around the world. Today, things have
changed and we have rapidly grown
in bringing on more investors and
also recently gone public. With that
our original parent still plays a major
role in the organization as owners,
but we have a lot more investors
now in the pool.
One thing to mention is since we
started in APAC back in the day, at
Fluence we were just one person in
the APAC region; today we are well
over 160 people
Fluence has over
34,000 MWh plus
energy storage assets
either deployed or
contracted or under
asset management.
This is across
150 plus projects
and 30 countries.
Certainly, this
provides tremendous
learning from each,
also learnings from
deployments that are
specific to regions.
Could you highlight a
few of these?
It has been a tremendous journey
in a short span of three years.
Delivering excellence is one of our
core features, which we achieve in
what we innovate, in what we do,
and how we cater to each market.
Achal Sondhi
Having a team that has been
deploying energy storage since
2008, pilots have happened many
years ago. At Fluence we started
deploying larger and larger projects,
well into the 100 MW scenarios. With
that come a lot of complexities and
that is where we believe Fluence
brings value. One is reliability and
delivering large projects that will be
safe, work well, be available and
most of all be maintained over a
period of 20 years as per our service
agreements. Having that kind of
experience under our belt helps us
be sure we can achieve that level of
excellence.
There are examples of what
people might think are trivial, but
with our experience it is just these
that bring us a step ahead at times.
During a deployment in a particular
country, the system did not have
an AGC or automatic generation
control system up and running and
planned for it in the next year or two.
AGC is for frequency regulation or
control that is done by the central

utility, which commands a plant to
dispatch automatically when there is
a certain amount of power required.
Normally this is a frequency control
mechanism.
Instead of running the plant on
a droop curve function at the site
sub-station, they wanted to run it
more centrally so they could enable
the AGC. Our team that has been
doing this around the world figured
out a way the central utility could
send a signal through the SCADA
(supervisory control and data
acquisition) network to the system
to go in to a power dispatch mode
along the loop curve, and once you
change the state command it will
return to a state of charge mode
to bring the system back to its
optimal level of charge. That was
one application that we were able
to do quickly, having done it in many
countries - cheaply for the customer
and cheaply for the utility, and work
with the utility on what they wanted.
So, that is us being innovative but
delivering with experience.
The other side of the question is
when it comes to all the technicalities
around deploying and connecting
an asset to the grid, making sure
the foundations are good as well as
adequate. How do you carry out the
commissioning process when the
utility has never been commissioned
before or maybe that sub-station or
that part of the network has never
done the commissioning of a battery
before? Having an experienced
player on the other side to guide
the norms, the testing protocols
as well as the amount of testing
required, really helps. The last thing
a customer wants to pay for is seven
months of commissioning or testing
versus two weeks. This can happen
if the utility is unsure what exactly
they want or don’t have a path to
follow.
Experience is definitely crucial in
terms of ensuring the job is done
and delivered on time. Most of all,
because we are a committed storage
company, our entire organization
is behind finding ways to optimize
deployment and in problem solving.
Also, we are not conflicted in
delivering one technology over
another, but will always find the most
optimal way to deliver a storage
project anywhere in the world.
Could you briefly
touch upon safety and
standards? Would you
also elaborate on the
requirement of skill
development in these
new regions where the
energy storage assets
are being deployed?
Safety is at our core and everyone
is mandated to go through safety
training inside the office or outside
- it is a part of our everyday living.
We have onsite asset training safety
but also in the office and we ensure
that everyone in the organization
is looking out for the potential near
misses and ensure that everything
we do is at the heart of safety.
When we look at new countries,
safety systems are often not in place
for storage systems. They make
carbon copies from base line or from
other countries. But safety standards
need to be adjusted for individual
countries and what is typical for
each – monsoon or typhoons, etc.
This is not always easy, there being
no set formula and some regions
may even claim there is no safety
requirement. In such cases we say
it is mandatory on our side to ensure
the safety of these systems. It is also
very important to set a standard for
the rest of the industry. We do know
a lot of countries that don’t have it,
and we would not like to work without
some sort of safety standards. Not
only is it not the right path for the
industry; it is just not something we
would accept.
Having said that, what is great
about the world today is everyone
understands the importance of
safety and is very responsible in this
regard. Customers do ask how they
should teach their team to operate a
certain asset and be part of the site
training. As part of our service and
system offering, we have modules to
train onsite staff as first responders
for when there is an issue. We also
train the first responders in the
community to give them an insight
of what the facility is, the concerns
around it, how one can stop the
facility if one needed to, what are
Jan–Mar 2022
29
brake mechanisms in the facility
and what are the different warning
signs in the unlikely event there is
a situation to handle. It is important
for the concept of safety to cascade
across anyone we work with, the
industry and hopefully the globe at
one point.
Financing such
projects is not very
streamlined today.
What could you tell
us about financing
storage and the
different models you
have experienced
around the world?
Asia is the next region for the
evolution of the storage industry. In
the UK and USA, the markets are
definitely thriving as also Australia.
One sees projects being put on the
ground and then acquiring financing.
I think the next set of countries will
also start seeing similar financing
and it comes with two sides of any
project. It involves the offtake and
its reliability as a first. The other side
is the technology and its reliability
aspect: are the LBs bankable, are
the commercials in place? Many
people on entering the financing
world start calculating at what
rate they can finance the project,
and at what rate they can get
insurance.
There are a few of the tier
one companies that come on top
after due diligence is done, after
checking the LBs behind it and who
is supporting that LB. I think those
aspects are now actually tilting
people’s decision on who they work
with. As these projects are high
Capex, and financing is becoming
more of an interest, people are
viewing how many people have
actually set up 1000 MW in the world,
delivered them, managed to ensure
that the entire system is operational;
and whether the company can stand
by the commitment it made for an
extended period of time? That is
becoming an increasingly prevalent
question, especially in the UK, USA
and Australia and now in some parts
of Asia as well. That is going to be
the next step in the evolution - the
project finance tanks and insurance
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY NEWS
 30
companies will be able to provide
more products to support this
industry.
Fluence has a variety
of customers from
utilities, network
companies, IPPs,
even the commercial
industrial segment.
What are some of the
key drivers of business
growth in your view?
I think the experience curve of
a new technology or product is
speeding up around the world.
So more and more people now
understand how storage brings
value to the grid, to a project,
to a distribution network, which
is translating to business cases
becoming much more favourable
over time. A few years ago, battery
storage replacing peaker-plants was
one of the more prevalent business
cases - why would one need to build
another peaker in America when one
could instead build a battery that
would support the peaking capacity
when required. Then you had a
combination of solar plus storage,
which would almost take up some
of your mid-merit plants that still
continue to benefit with peakers.
Now, we are seeing business
cases around transmission
applications. We are seeing
storage-as-transmission really
picking up. Around the region of
Lithuania where we did a project,
we have got enquiries for over a
gigawatt that are related to storage
as a transmission asset. These are
serious projects and people are
evaluating between either differing
a high Capex investment, which is
a large transmission line upgrade,
which will be underutilized for the
next 15 years – or opting for the
storage plant instead. The business
case - because of where prices are
today and probably even were two
years ago – is making sense to
have storage as a way of deferring
a high Capex investment that will be
underutilized. That was the same
premise apparent in the peaker
concept: if you were making a high
Capex asset deliver only a few times
a year, be it gas or coal that was
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY NEWS Jan–Mar 2022
running at less than 80 percent a
year, then you are underutilizing the
spend on that asset. That is where
storage really starts playing a major
role to bring value.
So, we are seeing storage
business cases becoming more and
more prevalent, be it in SE Asia or
be it in India. The Australia market
is booming in all these applications.
The question then becomes, where is
the commercial structure to support
it or the payment mechanism? That
I think is a top-down decision that
needs to happen, which will help or
enable people to think through the
commercial payment structure. But
the business case exists and the
fundamentals are there to drive such
an application.
Coming to India: at
Cop 26 we committed
to achieving 50
percent of our
energy requirement
from renewables
by 2030. India has
come out with the
first gigawatt-hour
tender by SECI. What
are your thoughts on
the energy storage
potential in India
and the unique
opportunities and
challenges faced here?
India is a strategic market for us
at Fluence. We have a 10 MWh
system in Delhi which was one of
the first systems deployed. It not
only enables us to have a bit of
experience in actually connecting
a system to the grid, but also in
running a system for two years with
all the climate nuances in India. We
are committed to the Indian market,
and with this tender that has just
come out we believe it’s just the tip
of the ice berg.
Frankly, there are many
fundamental markets out there for
which the need for storage is just
a given. Most of these markets
have high renewable penetration of
plants, high renewable penetration
of mid-merit coal, lack of local
gas supply - that is like the right
ingredients for storage. You need the
flexibility to support the renewables;
your gas supplier or gas projects
are limited, so it creates flexibility
and enables the energy transition.
Here, storage is actually one of the
faster mechanisms. It is integral
to achieving that target; we really
believe that storage should itself be
a target to enable that. So, if you
have an energy storage target that
supports the renewable target, then
you are further enabling the potential
of this renewable target being
executed. Given how the network
is set up, how we have a lot of mid-
merit coal enabling this transition -
storage will take it to the final step
and make sure that we get there.
Potentially, the fundamentals
driving storage in India are very
high. The commercials that enable
payment for such a system need
to be worked out a bit more. To do
that one needs all stakeholders to
work together. The quickest way
to bring all stakeholders together
is to set a target: saying we need
200 GWh of storage by 2030 to
support renewables is actually telling
everyone in the system, ‘Find a way
to make these payments work, find a
way to make these business cases
work.’ If not, people may say they
want to wait for something cheaper,
longer duration instead of finding a
way to make this work. This is what
other countries have done. Once they
said they needed storage, they found
what changes in rules were needed
to enable a payment mechanism
for a short duration system between
the hours of 6 to 10 pm or 4 to 8 or
even one hour duration. Any sort of
payment mechanism to help optimize
the grid for those gaps, because you
have a lot of renewables, you have
coal that is reaching its technical
limitation and you have a gap to fill,
otherwise you are wasting a lot of
energy. That would require some
regulations and policy changes. It
is just a matter of thinking how to
procure these assets instead of
procuring more expensive assets that
are underutilized. Bringing everyone
together with a target is probably
one of the first steps that will help do
that. Here the MoP tender is in the
right direction and an excellent step;
a lot more steps to be taken, but the
direction is right.

What role can an
alliance like India
Energy Storage
Alliance (IESA) play in
this segment?
IESA has been around for several
years and has been instrumental in
bringing the necessary awareness
regarding this critical sector. Fluence
being part of IESA has seen vital
information exchange benefits,
getting the right information from the
stakeholders and sharing it. Its role
is to bring together the momentum
that is now apparent in the country.
All the stakeholders together have
a mission to do something to make
this a cleaner future. How do we
bring this together and make it
executable? That is where IESA’s
role comes in – to bring together all
the stakeholders including industry,
government, individuals, advisors
and say what do we need to do to
enable this mechanism; what are
the top five things we need to do to
reach our goals.
IESA can very effectively share
what is happening in the market,
what ideas are out there, what
information. But they also have
a right to show what is going to
happen if we don’t do the right thing
in deploying more storage so we can
have more renewable generation. It
should be putting together views of
the world or of India and show how
overall the cost comes down, if we
actually do deploy the storage that
we want, the renewables we want.
Maybe some coal plants have to
retire earlier than expected and incur
SAVE THE DATE
losses. But, overall the system, the
rate payer, the Indian consumer, and
the air we breathe will be better. By
putting forward that view then serves
as an indication that it is a top-down
support-mechanism that is required
to enable it. That is where IESA’s
role lies. Being part of the leadership
circle, we are in full support, but
of course this is where IESA can
bring a lot to the table because it
is an independent organization and
can bring in an independent and
balanced view as well as a factual
outlook to all stakeholders.
Fluence does not
manufacture batteries,
could you explain?
We are not vertically integrated
into battery manufacturing for the
one reason that we want to remain
agnostic to battery supply in the
event that some combination of
chemistry can change the scenario
of the storage world quite a bit.
Today, we might have a system that
is prevalently NMC, tomorrow we
might have a system that is LFP and
then there may be one that comes in
ten years. So, we want our systems
to be flexible to change to the type
of technologies of the future. If you
have a system that is there for 20
years to support the grid and we
need to augment the power in 10
years, enabling it to be augmented it
with something different, it should be
an option in case the prices show it
as desirable.
The second thing is having a
flexible supply chain with regard
Jan–Mar 2022
31
to the different chemistries: what
is the actual application needed –
high density, high power or longer
duration. That is another reason we
have this kind of flexibility which is
why we have not vertically integrated.
Could you elaborate on
the existing partners
or new ones you
intend to forge moving
forward?
In terms of our supply
partnerships, we have three or four
strategic partnerships for supply
chain in the world, which also gives
us a lot of benefit because we are
able to supply not necessarily
on pricing, but have the ability to
maintain supply, despite shortage.
A large contract also means we
have good established processes
with these suppliers. So, any sort of
warranty, changes, augmentation,
any support to the system – because
we are such large partners - we are
able to enable that process faster,
we can handle that situation for our
customers easily. This is a big plus
and brings a lot to the table. We get
treated as a priority because of our
bulk relationship. Having a large
supply chain like that around the
world, definitely allows us to support
different customers and utilities in
different countries to bring storage
to the ground.
(The interview was conducted
by Netra Walawalkar, for ETR. The
conversation was transcribed and
edited by Kathy Priyo for ETN.)
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY NEWS
 32 ENERGY STORAGE
Preparing for significant expansion of
storage in the Indian grid
There has been a strong policy push to significantly scale up the solar
and wind capacity in the Indian grid by 2030 and beyond. Srihari
Dukkipati, Research Fellow at Prayas (Energy Group) takes a look
at the challenges of reliably meeting demand, and the complementary
role that storage can play.
W
ith solar and wind generation
costs falling below those of
new coal-based generation,
and given that solar and wind are
more environmentally benign than
coal, the Indian government is
putting its might behind scaling up
the renewables mix in the Indian grid.
While this bodes well for meeting
our green energy targets, it also
brings up the challenge of meeting
demand reliably, since solar and
wind generation may not coincide
with demand.
These challenges can be
addressed through:
● flexible operation of coal
generation fleet as needed,
● using peaking generation such
as hydro and gas during high net
load periods,
● shifting load to periods with high
solar and wind generation, e.g.,
meeting farm pumping demand
using distributed solar plants
connected to agricultural feeders,
● better price signals through time-
of-day pricing to reflect system
cost,
Srihari Dukkipati
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY NEWS Jan–Mar 2022
Storage mix (FY 31) according to the PIER model
140
120
100
80
GWh
60
40
20
0
2021 2031
-4hr Battery -6hr Battery Pumped Hydro
● use of storage to shift generation
from low net load periods to high
net load periods, and
● using larger balancing areas for
system operation.
With battery storage prices
expected to drop significantly in
the coming decade, focus has
been on the complementary role
that storage can play in a grid with
high penetration of renewables. At
Prayas (Energy Group), we recently
investigated the role of storage in the
Indian grid over the current decade,
up to 2030-31, as part of a couple of
modelling studies.
The first study is based on an
open energy systems model for
India named PIER (Perspectives on
Indian Energy based on Rumi), which
estimates spatially and temporally
disaggregated demand up to 2030-
31, and meets that demand through
optimization of various supply
choices including production and
import of primary fuels, addition
of electricity generation and
storage capacities and transfers
across different regions. Currently,
residential demand is estimated
bottom up based on energy service
2031 2031
Ref
needs, by type of consumer
classified into urban and rural, and
by expenditure quintiles. (The model
results are described in detail in a
report titled ‘PIER: Modelling the
Indian energy system through the
2020s’, and input and output data
are available for free download and
use on GitHub.)
In the reference scenario, it is cost
effective to have about 420GW of
solar and wind capacity and 70GWh
of battery storage by FY31. If battery
storage prices drop faster than
assumed in the reference scenario,
more than 90GWh of battery storage
gets added. If battery storage
prices drop slower than assumed,
no battery storage gets added by
FY31. However, there is widespread
agreement among analysts that
prices will certainly drop; it is only a
matter of how soon.
The second study is based on a
State-level power sector production
cost simulation model for the State of
Maharashtra. This model, developed
using the open source and feature-
rich GridPath platform, simulates unit
commitment and economic dispatch
for the region served by MSEDCL,
 33
47

the State distribution

proposition for buyers utility.was
Dispatch
very Installed
and safer Capacity
to use. They andarePower
per- supplied from storage
are comparable, thanks to compet-
happens
limited due in to15-minute
higher upfrontblocks,costs.
and fectly suited for low- and medium- itive and scaled-up manufacturing
RPO30 RPO50S1 RPO50S2 RPO50S3
operational
But today, consumer constraints preference
such as speed scooters and e-bikes that at present. However, higher upfront
ramp rates, technical
has largely moved towardsminimum,Li-ionstart Coal-based
make Capacity
reasonable (MW) between
balance 24,832 cost20,932is a major19,672 dampener,17,137 as the
costs
powered and vehicles
minimumowing up and to down
their range and power. But higher-volt- two-wheeler market is highly sen-
times
relative areadvantages
honoured in each block.of
in terms Wind
age Capacity like
batteries (MW)60V or 72V12,940 bat- sitive 21,215
to pricing. 21,215
Thus, in 21,215
addition
Demand
range, power,and and RE charginggeneration
cycle. teries make more sense for high- to favourable TCO, lower upfront
profiles
Although areaas reportedofbymanufac-
majority SLDC in Solar Capacityand
performance (MW)premium models, 19,675 costs 28,640
are essential 28,640 for mass 28,640
adop-
the
turersyearcontinue
2017-18,towith usethelead-acid
demand as they can provide greater power tion of e-2W.
profile
batteries being modified
that to shift about
are cost-effective Storage (MUs)
efficiency. Low-power dissipation 780 9991
According to a10049 10370
report by Avendus
50
and percent
can beof locally the non-monsoon
procured, of such batteries provides high reli- Capital (ACPL), the point of inflec-
night
m e d i time
u m - t agriculture
o - h i g h - s pload
e e d to aday
nd RE Curtailment (MUs)
ability and a super long service life, 799 2724
tion for 2604
mass adoption 2379
of e-2W is
time
premium in line with Maharashtra’s
two-wheelers solar
have already thereby increasing their penetra- expected around FY 2023, with
agriculture
transitionedfeeder to Li-ion scheme. The
batteries. tion in the market. With buyer pref- battery prices falling to $160-170/
model compares
Since market sharesystem operation
of such vehi- Theremoving
erence are advantages to battery kWh.
towards advanced bulk procurement,
As battery prices ancillary
come services,
down,
across
cles in terms different
of overallcapacity
e-2W sales mix storage
and beyondmodels,
premium balancing generation
new models any deferring
reductiontransmission
in upfront investments,
cost will
scenarios, provided exogenously
is largely increasing since the last to at e-scooters
of a utility scale. with 60V The ormodular and reliability
higher kindle customersupport for critical
interest. loads.
Together
the
two model, rangingtransition
years, further from 30 towards
percent nature of are
batteries battery storage
expected makesthe
to enter it with
Givenadditional
this, it is important
sops and thatincen-
these
to 50 percent
Li-ion batteries of in
thee-2W
demand being
space is suitable infor2022.
market providing balancing and tives different(likeoptions
successfulare experimented
implementa-
met throughinRE
expected sources
2022. in FY30. In
Moreover, to stability support at multiple levels tion with ofthrough
FAME-II) pilots
from ingovernments,
a methodical
the
qualify30 percent
for FAME-II RE scenario,
subsidy, 3GW new of the distribution and transmission achieving manner over costtheparity
next is5 possible.
years to
of
modelscoal-based
awaitingcapacitymarket is added
launches
Price parity
network. Co-locating on
battery storage figure out
There is what
no doubtworksthatandthe does not.
upcom-
10
to
aremeetlikelydemand reliably, whereas
to be high-powered with with solar could parresult
withinpetrol
additional ingUtilities,
years regulators,
will be a litmus planners and
test to this
in the batteries
Li-ion 50 percent RE the
to meet scenarios,
revised savings in balance of system costs prediction system operators on e-2Wcan play a crucial
achieving favor-
28GWh
standards of battery
of minimum storage is added.
riding range as With
well skyrocketing
as better utilization
petrol costs of able
role incostevaluating
parity. these pilots. These
of It80is kmfoundandthat top demand
speed not canless
be transmission
and revised priceslines.of Hence,
new BS6theretwo- learnings will help provide useful
met
thanreliably
40 kmph. and cost-effectively with is a strong
wheelers case
since for preparing
mid-last year, elec-for inputs for the subsequent expansion in
50 percent of the demand being met the scooters
tric inevitableare increase in grid-level
being proposed as scale, which appears to be inevitable.
through RE sources, Increased and with no storage
the potentin the Indian electricity
‘antidote’ grid.
for the finan-
net coal-based capacity addition. It is foundfacedfrom by the endPIERusers.
study [Srihari Dukkipati works on
penetration of cial pinch
09
Storage plays an important role that battery storage
Consumers starts becoming
are increasingly aware energy models and data at
in making thishigh-voltage happen, and the cost-effective
that the TCOforof the Indianscooters
electric grid by Prayas (Energy Group), which is
50 percent RE scenarios batteries result in 2027-28, so issignificant capacity is Dhiyaneshand analysis
an Indian research
and e-bikes less than their petrol Ravichandran
slightly
As of lowertoday,total manufacturers
generation cost likely to be added
counterparts starting
in the then. In
long-run. There
the organization working in the area
(including RE48V and storage of energy Correspondent
policy. It is part of a
prefer 36V or batteries for fixed
their are multiple scooter
entry-level potentialand applications
commuter of
ETN charitable trust
costs)
e-2W, compared
as they are with cost-effective
the 30 percent batterysegment,
bikes storage, and different
their buyingpossible
costs non-government
RE scenario. procurement arrangements such as called ‘Prayas’, in Pune.]

E: contact@indiaesa.info
Jan–Mar 2022 EMERGING TECHNOLOGY NEWS
Sept–Oct 2021 |
 34 ENERGY STORAGE

Dual carbon batteries for high-voltage

applications
Dual carbon batteries (DCBs) are sustainable and low-cost compared to
Li-ion batteries (LIBs), and may find potential uses in various applications.
In this article, Dr. Surendra Kumar Martha, Associate Professor
(Department of Chemistry) – IIT Hyderabad, writes about the novel
5V DCB consisting of zero transition metal, developed by his team.

Image for representation only

E
nergy economy based on
renewable sources has been
put forward as a way out to
shrug off the dependence on fossil
fuel. Rechargeable lithium-ion
batteries (LIBs) are projected to meet
future e-mobility, electric aviation,
and stationary grid energy storage
targets within 2030. However, LIBs
need toxic and costly metals like
cobalt, nickel, manganese, etc., for
functioning.
Geologically unsymmetrical
distribution of lithium and cobalt,
along with geopolitics and unethical
child labor centered on mining,
causes havoc fluctuations in raw
material cost. It affects the market
price stability of large LIB packs
used in EVs. In the dual-carbon
battery, both the electrodes consist
of graphitic carbonaceous materials,
and the ions from the electrolyte
intercalate and de-intercalate into
the electrode matrix.
The team at the Electrochemical
Dr. Surendra Martha
Energy Storage (EES) Lab at IIT
Hyderabad, has developed a 5V Dual
Carbon Battery utilizing self-standing
carbon fiber mats as both electrodes
(cathode and anode) using the
same non-aqueous LIB electrolyte.
DCBs set aside the requirement of
toxic, costly, and heavy transitional
metals mentioned above and are
completely recyclable.
The novel dual carbon battery
consisting of zero transition metal
is environmentally benign. It may
cut down the overall battery cost by
15-20 percent and is expected to
curb the unpredictability in market
price. Ubiquitous carbon as active
electrode material and current
collector replacing heavy metals
brings lightness and flexibility. The
fabricated 5.0 voltage (nominal

EMERGING TECHNOLOGY NEWS Jan–Mar 2022


voltage 4.65 V) cell provides an
energy density of 100-watt hours
per kilogram approximately and
can be extended up to 150-watt
hours per kilogram with further
modifications. The current research
is demonstrated in a coin-type or
single electrode (2.5 cm x 2.5 cm)
pouch-type cell level.
Before generalizing the concept
of DCB and extrapolating it to other
rechargeable battery analogs,
it is essential to compare both
configurations in terms of voltage,
power density, energy density, cost,
safety, life span, the temperature
range of operation, and recyclability.
First, a larger interfacial area of
the carbon electrode enables high
areal energy and power densities
fabrication in this study. However,
the volumetric energy and power
densities are not up to the mark due
to large porosity and lower active
material to carbon ratio.
Second, the carbon electrodes
(e.g., graphitic carbon fibers) used
vishal.morab@ces-ltd.com
here are 2–3 times more expensive
than Al foils. Also, the homogeneous
distribution of active material
throughout the current carbon
fiber-based electrode fabricating
pouch/cylindrical cells to secure a
proper tabbing may be technically
challenging at the pilot scale.
Third, Al- and Cu-based current
collectors in LIBs interfere with the
metal extraction process by changing
the pH of the solution, affecting
the purity of recycled metals. But,
current collector used in DCB
fabrication in the form of carbon can
be easily recycled. It is expected that
the safety and performance of DCB
could be much higher, since carbon
electrodes using the petroleum-
pitch binder are used instead of the
fluorinated polymer binders used in
conventional LIBs.
The current development is
small, and raw materials are not
abundant in the Indian market. The
team at IIT Hyderabad is working
to improve the cycle stability and
Jan–Mar 2022
35
energy density limits further by
using high concentrated electrolytes
and different anions, with available
raw materials. Extensive research
is required to make commercial
prototypes. The team’s broad vision
includes introducing the dual carbon
system as a cheaper LIB alternative
to the Indian Market.
The IIT-H research team
believes that developed cells may
find potential uses in high voltage
applications, sophisticated battery-
run medical devices, regenerative
braking systems in electric vehicles,
and stationary grids.
[The research was carried out
by Shuvajit Ghosh and Udita
Bhattacharjee, Ph.D. students
at IIT Hyderabad, under the
supervision of Dr. Surendra K.
Martha, in collaboration with Oak
Ridge National Laboratory (USA)
and Naval Materials Research
Laboratory (Mumbai, India).
Naval Research Board (DRDO)
supported this project.]
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY NEWS
 36 ENERGY STORAGE

Battery swapping stations: Can they

improve grid flexibility?
The role of battery swapping in potentially bringing down EV ownership
costs is well-known. However, swapping stations could also act as an
essential source of grid flexibility, which will become crucial with increasing
share of renewable energy and EVs. Dhruv Warrior, Research Analyst
at the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), elucidates
the various aspects of battery swapping and its relevance in the
coming years.

O
n February 1, 2022, the Figure 1: Total energy demand of Delhi (Dec '20 - Nov '21)
Finance Minister of India
made several landmark 8000
announcements related to the 7000
energy transition, building on the 6000
Prime Minister’s ‘Panchamrit’
Load (MW)

or five-point agenda to tackle
climate change. Among these
announcements was a proposed
battery swapping policy that has
excited many in the industry.
Aligning policy and private sector
strategy on battery swapping is
vital. There is also a need for
updating legislations addressing
the various challenges inherent to
scaling up battery swapping.
What is battery
swapping?
Battery swapping is a form
of vehicle refuelling through a
detachable battery. When the
battery’s charge gets depleted, the
Dhruv Warrior
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00
Summer average
Source: MERIT Portal
driver can go to a battery swapping
station and replace the battery
within minutes. Hence, the driver
doesn’t need to own the expensive
battery, but instead is provided the
battery-as-a-service (BaaS). The
success of this business model
could prove to be a significant
catalyst in the EV revolution since
it can bring down the EV ownership
cost.
Battery swapping for
grid flexibility
The argument for battery
swapping generally boils down to a
potential lowering of EV costs and
access to fast refuelling without
the need for fast chargers. But with
the increasing share of renewable
energy and EV’s, battery swapping
stations can also play a key role
in helping utilities balance their
grids.
Time
High peak load summer day (30 June ’21)
To understand where battery
swapping could play a role, we
should first understand where the
trouble lies with current charging
methods when it comes to load
on the grid. We use the case
study of Delhi to explain the
problem. In Figure 1, we see the
characteristic dynamic demand of
the Delhi grid, with afternoon and
evening peaks. At these times,
the transmission and distribution
(T&D) infrastructure of the grid is
at its limit, and the utility is forced
to procure excess electricity from
the short-term electricity markets
at high cost. As the number of EVs
charging increases, it is likely to
increase the variability of this load.
Typically, EVs are charged at night
and in the case of Delhi their power
demand coincides with pre-existing
peak hours.

EMERGING TECHNOLOGY NEWS Jan–Mar 2022


Managed charging
systems
Utilities can try to control their
EV charging load through passive
or active managed charging. When
managing charging passively,
utilities use incentives such as
variable time-of-day (ToD) tariffs
to nudge the charging behaviour.
In active managed charging,
utilities manage charging through
the direct control of chargers on
their network. Consumers would
see their charging slowed or
switched off as required by the
utility, in return for participation
incentives or cheaper EV charging
tariffs. Unfortunately, while
necessary, managed charging
systems have limits to their
effectiveness.
Active managed charging
requires installing smart charging
equipment. Such installations will
be challenging to implement at
scale for e-2W and e-3W drivers
who currently charge from standard
wall plug-points. Managed
charging programs may also
require active user involvement in
keeping track of time-of-day rates
and demand response events.
This active participation could be
challenging for less technically-
savvy consumers.
Battery swapping could be
ideal to fill these gaps, particularly
in India where e-2W and e-3W
make up majority of the potential
EV customers. Battery swapping
providers have the potential to act
as aggregators, where the charging
load of a large number of e-2W
and e-3W can be managed. The
process of smart charging would
be considerably simpler for EV
drivers. Further, battery swapping
could increase the range of load
shifting available during managed
charging.
Flexibility with
battery swapping
Currently, the amount of
flexibility available during charging
depends on the schedule and
charger availability for an individual
consumer. Swapping stations
should be able to determine
flexibility for all the batteries being
charged. Such a business model
would be more straightforward
than aggregator models consisting
of multiple, non-co-located smart
chargers since a smart battery
station would need to consist of only
a single commercial connection to
the grid.
If battery swapping is expanded
to e-4W and e-buses, it could
reduce the load from fast chargers
while providing similar refuelling
speeds. Battery swapping stations
could reduce the charging load by
broadening the charging window of
these swapped batteries.
Through this mechanism, battery
swapping stations could provide
much-needed flexibility to utilities
while concurrently providing value
to EV consumers. The station
could also act as energy storage
on the grid and provide power back
to it. Gogoro Inc. and Taipower
installed the world’s first V2G
battery swapping station in Taiwan
in October 2021.
Mainstreaming grid-
integrated battery
swapping
Battery swapping as a management and grid-connected
technology has been through false
starts. It will be vital for policy-
makers and the private sector
to align on deployment of the
technology. When considering
the deployment of grid-integrated
battery swapping, a few challenges
need to be tackled.
Lack of data is the first roadblock.
Smart charging is a nascent
technology in India, while battery
swapping is still in the proof-of-
concept stage. Further, globally,
it is only concentrated in specific
geographies, and access to smart
charging implementation data is
scarce.
The government should earmark
funding for grid-integrated pilots
as part of the battery swapping
policy. Such pilots will give utilities
and industry players more precise
data on the potential flexibility
afforded by battery swapping
stations, as well as the technical
and commercial constraints.
Jan–Mar 2022
37
Secondly, for battery swapping
to provide grid flexibility, it must
be deployed at scale. A major
hindrance to such deployment
is the lack of standardization of
swappable battery technologies.
Each company has its own
proprietary technology and may be
unwilling to make modifications for
standardization. The government
must step in to mandate certain
basic standards for these
swappable batteries. Effective
standards will only be arrived
through a consultative process
that brings together all of the major
players in manufacturing (EV and
battery) and swapping station
operators.
Finally, battery swapping must
be affordable for consumers.
Here, the revenue from grid
services could add a much-needed
competitive advantage to the
battery swapping model in India.
Battery swapping companies can
pass on some of the value accrued
from cheaper tariffs and managed
charging incentives to customers
as part of their BaaS model.
Flexible electric grids
require adequate demand side
energy storage. Smart battery
swapping stations could provide
both of these services to the grid,
while providing value to EV drivers.
The flexibility could be provided
without compromising on the USPs
of battery swapping: fast refuelling
and affordable EVs.
To ensure the success of battery
swapping and increase grid
resilience, various stakeholders
like EV manufacturers, utilities and
the policy makers need to work
closely to develop a smart battery
swapping ecosystem.
[The Council on Energy,
Environment and Water
(CEEW) is an independent
not-for-profit globally engaged
policy research institution
that analyses and advises on
critical questions on energy,
environment and water.]
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY NEWS
 38 CLEAN ENERGY

India’s energy transition: The way to

net-zero
About 140 countries covering 90 percent of global emissions; 410 publicly-
traded companies and 450 financial institutions representing $130 trillion
in assets have announced net-zero targets. Vibhuti Garg, Energy
Economist – Lead India, IEEFA, feels this year could well be called the
year of net zero, and writes about how the push for decarbonization will
require huge investment.

A
t COP26, Prime Minister
Narendra Modi ratcheted
up India’s clean energy
targets, pledging to cut emissions
to net zero by 2070; in addition
to increasing non-fossil capacity
to 500 GW, meeting 50 percent
of energy requirements from
renewable sources, reducing
emissions by 1 billion ton, and
reducing the emission intensity of
the economy by 45 percent from
2005 levels by 2030.
While Indian companies have
been slow to join the race to net
zero, they are starting to get their act
together: 14 have committed to net-
zero targets, 29 have announced
science-based targets and 69 have
committed to taking climate action.
Some of India’s biggest
companies, such as Tata,
Reliance, Mahindra, ITC, Adani
and Dalmia Cement have made
net-zero announcements. Various
government corporations like Indian
Railways and Chhattisgarh Health
Department have also committed to
achieve net-zero carbon emissions
by 2030 and 2050 respectively.
Finance will play a key role in
helping countries achieve their net-
zero targets. As per McKinsey’s
report, global capital spending on
physical assets for energy and land-
use systems in the net-zero transition
between 2021 and 2050 would
amount to about $275 trillion, or
$9.2 trillion per year on average – an
annual increase of as much as $3.5
trillion. Moreover, an extra $1 trillion,
in addition to today’s annual spend,
would need to be reallocated from
high-emission to low-emission assets.
The report also highlighted that
the exposed geographies, including
in sub-Saharan Africa and India,
would need to invest 1.5 times
more than advanced economies as
a share of GDP today to support
economic development, and build
low-carbon infrastructure. In a ‘Net
Zero 2050’ scenario, India’s capital
requirements would be 11 percent
of GDP, compared with the global
average of about 7.5 percent of GDP.
While a detailed sectoral study
on India’s net-zero emissions is yet
to be done, the IEA India Energy
Outlook 2021 presented various
scenarios, including the Sustainable
Development Scenario (SDS),
wherein India will witness an early
peak and rapid subsequent decline
in emissions, consistent with a
longer‐term drive to net zero. This
scenario illustrates the net-zero
roadmap for India, but the IEA has
shifted the global goal post from
2070 to 2050. This implies that
transition to renewable energy
and firming capacity will have to
accelerate relative to that mapped
out in the SDS scenario.
If we look at the short-term
target of 2030, the expected annual
investment for deployment of
renewable energy, battery storage,
electric vehicles, and network
expansion and modernization of the
grid is $110 billion in the SDS for
India. This means India would need
investment of $1.1 trillion between
2021-2030. This is about three times
the current annual investment ($40
billion) in these sectors. However,
to achieve the net-zero emissions
roadmap, the corresponding
investment requirement will be much

Reliance $80 billion Committed over 10-15 years; 100GW solar + giga
factories for modules, fuel cells and storage
Adani $50 billion Investment committed for renewables by 2030
Renew $9 billion New solar + wind projects by 2025
Eversource $1 billion+ Investment through solar platforms: Radiance,
Ayana
Virescent $270 million KKR backed InViT for solar investments
Vibhuti Garg Source: Climake & Unitus Capital

EMERGING TECHNOLOGY NEWS Nov–Dec

Jan–Mar 2021
2022
 39

higher than the SDS.

The year 2021 saw some big-

MARKET OVERVIEW REP

ticket renewable energy investments
by large companies.

2019
MARKET OVERVIEW - 2026
REPORT
India needs to exploit the rapidly
growing pool of global capital
from sovereign wealth funds,
global pension, private equity
2019 - 2026
2020-2027
and infrastructure funds, as well
as global utilities plus oil and gas
majors pivoting to clean energy
but struggling to find infrastructure
projects at scale.
Private capital, institutional
investors, economic, social and
governance (ESG) financing, green
bonds, sustainability linked bonds,
infrastructure investment funds, etc.
will play a key role in helping achieve Electric Vehicle & Charging India Stationary Energy Storage-
MARKET OVERVIEW REPORT
ambitious climate targets. Finance
Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her
Infrastructure
Electric
Market
Vehicle & Market
Overview
Report Infrastructure
2019 - 2026
Charging India Stationary En
Overview Report
2019 - 2026 Market Overvie
Market Overview
2019 - 2026
Budget 2022 speech announced that
the government will issue sovereign
Report 2019 - 2026
2020-2027 2019 - 2
green bonds for projects that will MARKET OVERVIEW
$3500 REPORT
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2019 - 2026
help reduce the carbon intensity of
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transition.
Voluntary carbon markets, which

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hit a record $1 billion in traded
volumes in 2021, are also gaining
momentum and have potential Powered By

to be a good platform for Indian

companies to trade their carbon
credits. Carbon prices are booming,
Electric
duringVehicle
2021, as& Charging India Stationary Energy Storage-
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rising 900 percent

Infrastructure Market Overview
per Platts CEC. Electric VehicleMarket Overview
& Charging Report Energy Storage-
India Stationary
The roadmap to net zero would Infrastructure Market Overview Market Overview Report
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involve huge investment, requiring Report 2019 - 2026 2019 - 2026
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sector but industries, buildings, $3500
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[The Institute for Energy

Economics and Financial Powered By

Analysis (IEEFA) is a U.S. non-

profit corporation that examines
issues related to energy For further details contact:
markets, trends, and policies; Shubham Gaikwad E: vishal.morab@ces-ltd.com
with a mission to accelerate
the transition to a diverse,
www.indiaesa.info
sustainable and profitable
energy economy.]

Jan–Mar 2022 EMERGING TECHNOLOGY NEWS

 40 E-MOBILITY

Mission ‘Shoonya’: Revolutionizing the

transport industry with EVs
In an exclusive interaction with Randheer Singh, Director - Electric
Mobility and senior team member for Advanced Chemistry Cells
Program at Niti Aayog, ETN brings out his take on the current state of
affairs in the Indian e-mobility industry. He also spoke about the recently
launched ‘Shoonya’ campaign to promote zero-emission delivery
vehicles, FAME II policy revision, and financing of EVs.

T
he ‘Shoonya — Zero-Pollution
Mobility’ campaign began this
year with an inspiring brand
film. It draws an analogy of the
concept of number ‘zero’ - and its
critical significance in the place value
(decimal) system in mathematics
and science in general - to ‘zero-
emission’ in transportation to stress its
conceptual importance in achieving
sustainable mobility and a cleaner
environment.
The campaign was launched by
NITI Aayog and RMI in partnership
with leading industry players in
September last year. It aims to
raise awareness about EVs among
consumers, and recognize industry
efforts through an integrated UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson at COP26
combination of corporate branding, Source: ukcop26
impact assessment and consumer
awareness.
“The vision of the campaign is to
promote the use of EVs for last-mile
delivery and ride-hailing services,
by recognizing industry efforts and

raising consumer awareness about infrastructure are branded with

Randheer Singh,
Director - Electric Mobility, Niti Aayog
EVs”, said Randheer Singh, Director -
Electric Mobility, Niti Aayog. “We have
over 75 corporate partners including
leading e-commerce companies,
ride-hailing companies, vehicle
manufacturers, fleet aggregators,
and charging infrastructure providers
to promote the electrification of the
commercial passenger and freight
transportation in urban, last-mile
applications”, he claimed.
The campaign incorporates
a corporate branding program,
through which deliveries, rides,
and associated vehicles and
the Shoonya logo. “The Shoonya
website will also host a resource
toolkit that will guide potential EV
customers,” explained Mr. Singh,
“with all essential information
required to procure EVs, including
cost comparison calculator, policy
map, and listing of financing options.”
“We hope that Shoonya becomes a
common slogan in every household,
thereby consumers create a
demand-pull scenario for EVs. We
are confident that this campaign will
encourage more industry partners
to join the initiative and help our

EMERGING TECHNOLOGY NEWS Jan–Mar 2022

 63
41

ESGC Roadmap:
country eliminate air pollution from Track
till 2024 in the domestic Structure
EV industry, and of India along
out by government

Missions a significant uptick in e-2W sale done a detailed analysis on various

the commercial transport sector.” Mr. Singh said that there has been with the World Bank. “We have also
The campaign claims that pushing
all last-mile rides and deliveries since the announcement. “Both the barriers to financing, and released a
towards zero-emission can help our industry and end customers are handbook with 10 identified enablers
country save about 17 kilo tons of welcoming the increase in subsidy to to accelerate EV financing in the
PM, 55 million tons of CO2, and 5.7 `15,000 per kWh, and capping to 40 country.”
lakh crore worth of fuel every year. percent of the vehicle’s sales price.”
Technology On &the e-3W
Manufacturing Technology
and Transition Policy &Auto
e-buses front, Valuation PLI Workforce
(TT)
Charging infra and
Development (TD) Supply Chain (M&SC)
the aggregation model suggested (P&V) Development
On the possible impacts of the
(WD)
FAME II the pace of Address major
Maximize under the remodeled FAME
1. Enhance external
II has
Develop auto
a PLI scheme in furthering
Develop the broad
Mr. storage
Singh innovation
is of thebyopinion that toresulted
challenges lowering in significant drop in price
access to experts, e-mobility,
coordinated, DOE- Mr. workforce
Singh is positive
allying with corporate players
setting ambitious under of costs,
manufacturing vehicles by aboutand
facilities, 20IPpercent due that and
wide analysis the scheme willforboost next
required
goals and
the Shoonya rigorouscan further
mission accelerate
the scale
to up of
aggregation andandhomogenized
2. Industry technicalgeneration
assistance manufacturing and
research,
evaluationofmetrics, program to support
strengthening manufacturing
the EV ecosystem product fleet,market analysis
he added. availability
effective energy
of futuristic
development, mobility
focused on user- innovations, and 3. Industry and
in a big way, including charging solutions in ourdesign,
storage policies, country. “For sure,
centric use cases and enable reliable interagency
infrastructure. “They are the ones EV Financing collaboration and planning,this manufacture,
andwill help in creation and
of champion
promising technology sourcing of critical operation.
taking pathways
the innovative
to meet
technological “Financingengagement
is a big challenge in OEMs for automotive and related
regulation across the
materials and
and investment
them. leads at this point, may the
components across commercial EV real-world
4. Develop as States
segments, United parts, . while also giving big boost for
it be charging points in city centers, projects to demo and
supply chains.the interest rates hover around 20- the drones industry as well.”
battery swapping or BaaS models. 40 percent,validate tech. making EV
thereby “With ICE technologies being highly
Together, with government efforts buying and owning unaffordable”, he developed and viability proven, we
including safety standardization acknowledged. Despite innovative have to nudge the auto manufacturers
measures from DST and BIS, the vehicle financing and battery fiscally to switch to newer and
prospects of achieving immense lead swapping that are promising to bring upcoming technologies. That is
C h a l l e n g e ( E S G C ) r o a d m a p batteries with a lifecycle of 20-30 promising battery chemistry due to
in e-mobility is apparent”. down upfront costs, he opined that where auto PLI comes into picture,”
and the goal of United States to years, and this is a big challenge,” its low-cost and good performance.
He further informed that about larger issues such as unavailability he remarked. With continued policy
develop and manufacture energy said Venkat Srinivasan, Director “At Quantumscape, we are
`1,000 crore have been earmarked of easy credit with limited credit measure, we should be in a position
storage technologies that can – ACCESS, Argonne National developing Li-Metal LFP and Li-Metal
for charging infra development history or collaterals, low LTV, and to see a massive transformation and
meet all the marketplace demands Laboratory. NMC, which can be appropriate
under FAME II scheme. Pointing absence of secondary market need adoption towards advanced auto
by 2030. “Parallel to this, there is a big for different technologies,” Tim
out the Ministry of Power’s revised to be addressed. components and EVs. The idea is to
While the panelists discussed concern for the supply chain. The Holme, Co-founder & TCO –
guidelines for charging stations in “A viable solution to this challenge make India hub of manufacturing in
that energy storage will play a key countries must start thinking of Quantumscape, said.
urban spaces, in an area of a 3×3 would be OEM – banks or NBFCs emerging mobility trends.
role in transforming the economy, ways to optimize their supply chains
km grid in 9 big cities, he predicted partnerships, and captive finance
they recognized that there are to meet the growing demands.,”
that the combination of private options with long-term warranties
some barriers that will need to be he added.
home or office charging and battery or buy-back programs, which can
addressed. Speaking of the strides in
swapping stations in public spaces improve confidence among EV
“For transportation, we must research and innovations in new Shraddha Kakade
will dominate the EV charging buyers”, he suggested.
decrease the cost, enable fast forms of battery, the panelists also Assistant Editor
market in the coming years. Moreover, Mr. Singh added that
charging, and make batteries safer. touched upon LFP (lithium iron ETN
When asked about the immediate initially loss risk-sharing mechanisms
In addition to the cost, we must make phosphate battery) – a popular and
effects of FAME II scheme extension and modalities are being worked

Pre se nts

Avail ab l e Po d casting

Sept–Oct
Jan–Mar2021
2022 | EMERGING TECHNOLOGY NEWS
 42 SAFETY
Charging safety of EVs: Challenges and
key takeaways
This article takes a look at the critical aspects and concerns regarding charging
safety of electric vehicles, which involves a plethora of internal and external
hazards faced by the battery packs and charging piles during the recharging
process. Also mentioned are the essential focus areas for improvement
towards a comprehensive charging safety protection architecture.
W
ith the gradual emergence of
electric vehicles as a potent
alternative to ICE vehicles in
recent times, consumer awareness
about EVs and the image or appeal
of battery vehicles among end users
are rapidly changing across the globe.
Yet, a key impediment to this changing
consumer mindset is related to the
safety and reliability aspects of battery
vehicles.
In particular, the instances of
spontaneous battery fires and
explosions during the charging of the
vehicles and frequent fire accidents
at charging stations are seriously
questioning the reliability of EVs in
the minds of the buyers. Thus, safety
of charging is emerging as one of the
prime concerns of the EV industry,
and is kindling immense interest
and R&D among suppliers to further
a comprehensive charging safety
protection architecture in EVs.
As the battery pack is the heart of
an EV, the on-board power systems
that supply energy to the battery pack
through charging piles, cables and
wiring harnesses, charging guns and
related components that helps the EVs
to get charged through the process of
‘conduction’, becomes as important
as the arteries and veins in human
body. Thus, adequate insulation and
communication protocols between
different components in the power
systems are required to keep the
charging process smooth and stress-
free.
Battery thermal
runaways
Although global standards for
charging safety protection of EV
batteries and charging equipment are
already formulated, their compliance
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY NEWS Jan–Mar 2022
Battery
short-circuit
Overcharge
Battery
pack
consistency
Diaphragm
and
electrolyte
materials
Ambient
environment
Charging safety of EVs and charging piles: Influencing factors
remains limited, and charging-
related accidents out of failure in
insulation, thermal management and
communication protocols continue to
occur. According to experts, battery
thermal runaway tops the causes of
frequent charging accidents involving
EVs, due to formation of lithium
dendrites inside the battery during the
charging process in large number of
cases, especially at low temperatures.
The EV industry is working
tremendously to avert thermal
runaways and improve charging
safety performance of the batteries.
One way is by designing the BMS to
supervise battery health and charging
status in real-time. Another aspect
is by establishing effective diagnosis
schemes and early warning models by
cutting-edge simulation and analysis
of failure cases. However, there is still
a long way to go, as battery thermal
runaways can happen due to a plethora
of influencing factors, at times even
going beyond the battery chemistry
and characteristics to the operational
characteristics of the charging facilities.
Short circuiting of
batteries
For instance, short-circuiting of
Insulation
Communica-
tion protocols
and data
threats
Aging and
environmental
factors
Li-ion batteries is the most common
cause of thermal runaway. This
can happen due to overcharge or
overvoltage leading to electrolyte
decomposition as a result of formation
of gases such as H2, CO2 or CO,
and destabilization of cathode due to
release of O2. In addition, incorrect
charging methods, high ambient
temperatures and uneven distributed
polar coating can also cause battery
overcharge, among several other
factors. The risk of overcharge is also
closely related to number of charging
cycles of the battery.
Further, experts point out that
battery safety also depends on the
quality of the diaphragm material used
to separate the cathode from anode.
Uneven surface of the diaphragm
material may lead to formation of
lithium dendrites during the time
of charging, which can destroy the
diaphragm and cause short-circuiting.
Similarly, the quality and performance
of the electrolyte directly correlates to
the charging safety of the batteries.
Researchers suggest that the risk
of short-circuiting can be reduced
by selecting suitable materials and
reasonably adjusting the product
parameters based on fault-case

Causes of overcharge or
overvoltage hazard
● Wrong chargers for the
battery chemistry
● Universal chargers with
no logic to recognize the
chemistry of the battery
● Chargers with no stringent
safety controls
● Chargers with no battery
health monitoring
● Chargers with no current
cut-off mechanism after full-
charge is achieved
● Unsafe chargers with no
charger failure controls
simulation during the development
and manufacturing processes.
As in case of India at present,
almost all battery packs in EVs are
assembled out of imported battery
cells, whose material quality and
manufacturing conformity affects the
performance and safety parameters
of the entire pack. Studies have
highlighted that even if the parameters
of the battery pack are exactly the
same, the accumulative charging
and discharging of EVs can cause
an internal attenuation effect in the
battery pack, resulting in differences
in a single battery.
A phenomenon called ‘bucket effect’
happens when a single battery with
large internal resistance struggles to
reach full charge than other single
batteries, thereby making it difficult
for the battery pack to reach the rated
capacity. In order to ensure that all cells
reach the full SoC, overcharging may
happen in such cells, which may affect
the life of a battery pack and even
threaten the safety of the supporting
equipment and EVs on the whole.
Charging environment is also a
critical factor that is often ignored in
Charging safety protection of EV batteries: Focus areas
● Internal short-circuit detection and protection technologies
● Battery overcharge analysis and diagnostic protection mechanism
● Battery pack equalization technology
● Development and application of highly stable battery materials
● Battery status parameter monitoring and comprehensive fault
diagnosis method
the charging safety discussions. One
of the issues is lithium plating on the
anode graphite surface caused by
low-temperature charging with high
current and at a high state-of-charge
(SOC).
High charge current forces the
Li ions to move at a faster reaction
rate and accumulate on the surface
of the anode reducing the Li ions to
metallic Li instead of intercalating
into the anode crystal structure.
When charging at low temperature,
the reaction rate slows down thus
affecting the intercalation of Li ions.
However, poor capacity balance can
also lead to metallic Li deposition at
higher temperatures.
Li plating reduces the battery life
drastically and limits the fast-charging
capability. In severe cases, Li plating
can form lithium dendrite, which can
penetrate the separator and cause
internal short.
Charging pile safety
On the other hand, charging pile
safety is dependent on a different set
of factors. Insulation is one aspect that
suppliers need to pay more attention.
A fool-proof insulation design can
effectively provide a warning sign
to the failure of charging piles and
other safety problems. This includes
insulation protection performance
of the charging equipment shell,
electrical clearance, creepage
distance, dielectric strength, and
insulation resistance. In addition,
to prevent electrical shock related
accidents, protective measures to
overcome air humidity change, aging,
and moisture proofing of the insulation
material of the charging equipment
becomes important.
Communication is yet another
aspect of immense significance to the
safety of EVs and charging equipment.
When the communication protocols
between the EV and the charger
Jan–Mar 2022
43
is mismatched or incompatible,
interruption to charging or BMS
monitoring can happen, resulting in
overcharging, fire of charging piles or
even battery explosion. Therefore, pro-
active miscommunication diagnosis
and safety timeout mechanisms need
to be in place, in both EVs and chargers,
to ensure charging safety. Additionally,
charging piles also face information or
data safety threats by way of malicious
networking or malware attacks on the
charging architecture that risks misuse
of charging data and privacy of end
users.
Aging of charging equipment and
related components with prolonged
usage in harsh weather and operating
conditions calls for more stringent
requirements on periodic maintenance
and safety assessment of the
charging stations. There have been
several instances of failure of public
EV chargers in open spaces with no
roofs after a thunderstorm or summer
typhoons in the West, resulting in
expensive damages to high-precision
ICs and microchips, even burning of
internal lines of the EVs.
Reliable supply of electricity from
the grid to the charging stations is yet
another external factor influencing the
charging safety, as voltage fluctuation
or electronic surge strikes can affect
the normal operation of the charging
pile.
Inputs for the above article have
been taken from following sources.
1. “Review of the Charging Safety
and Charging Safety Protection
of Electric Vehicles” by Linru
Jiang , Xiaohong Diao, Yuanxing
Zhang, Jing Zhang and Taoyong
Li, published in World Electric
Vehicle Journal, 2021, 12, Pg 184.
2. Presentation by Judith
Jeevarajan, VP & ED, Research
Electrochemical Safety
Research Institute, Underwriters
Laboratories Inc. at the Workshop
on Charging infrastructure and
challenges for EV and ESS
charging held on March 10, 2022.
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY NEWS
 44 COMPANY & ADVERTISER INDEX / IMPRINT
Abrdn 18
Adani New Industries Limited (ANIL) 11, 38
AES 28
Ashok Leyland 14
Automotive Transformation Fund 18
Ayana Renewable Power 9
Bajaj Auto 15
Ballard Power Systems 11
Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL) 13, 15
Britishvolt 18
Chhattisgarh Health Department 38
Climake & Unitus Capital 38
Common Service Centres (CSC) 14
Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) 17
Council on Energy, Environment and Water
(CEEW) 36
Dalmia Cement 38
Enapter 21
Eurocell EMEA 17
Eversource 38
Exide Industries 8
Federal Consortium for Advanced Batteries 18
FIC Advanced Materials 17
FIC EMEA 17
Fluence 28
Ford 16
Bry-Air 6
CES India Stationary Storage Market Overview 41
Emerging Technology Review 31
ETN subscription form 46
Editor-In-Chief:
Director Strategic Initiatives, CES:
Ashok Thakur
Consulting Editor:
Nishtha Gupta-Vaghela
Assistant Editor:
Shraddha Kakade
Assistant Editor:
Moulin Oza
Contributing Editor:
Kathy Priyo
Corporate Communications:
Swati Gantellu
Design Consultant:
SP Sneha
President – IESA & MD, CES India:
Dr Rahul Walawalkar
Executive Director IESA:
Debi Prasad Dash
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY NEWS Jan–Mar 2022
Fortum Charge & Drive India 25 Ministry of New and Renewable
Energy (MNRE) 9
Glencore 18
Gogoro Inc. 16 Ministry of Power 10, 12, 35
Great Wall Motors 8 Neste Corporation 20
Greenko Group 9 Nexcharge 25
Hero MotoCorp 15 Niti Aayog 34
Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Okinawa Autotech 13
Ltd. (HPCL) 9, 13
Ola Electric 8
Honda Motor 22
Powin LLC 19
H-TEC Systems 21
Prayas (Energy Group) 32
Husk Power Systems 9
ProLogium Technology 16
IIT Hyderabad 40
Redwood Materials 16
India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) 26, 31
Reliance 38
India Renewable Energy Development
Agency (IREDA) 9 Renew 38
Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) 13 Siemens 28
Indian Railways 38 Solar Energy Corporation of India 9
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Institute for Energy Economics & Financial Sunverge Energy 17
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ITC 38
Switch Mobility 14
Mahindra 38
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MAN Energy Solutions 21 Tritax 18
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McKinsey 38 Virescent 38
Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) 12 Volvo 16
ETN.News 19 IESA Market Overview Report 39
Fluence 2 IESA members & partners 47
IESA IESW 2022 3 Lucas TV 23
IESA Industry Excellence Awards 45 WESD 2022 48
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 6

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May, 2022
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Leaders
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It
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Storage Electric
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