Sood highlighted sodium-ion and aluminum-air batteries as potential lithium alternatives.
India should explore alternatives to lithium-ion batteries for scaling up electric mobility, the government’s principal scientific advisor, Ajay Kumar Sood, suggests. Amid a global scramble for critical minerals, Sood emphasized the need to consider alternative technologies such as sodium-ion and aluminium air batteries.
The Search for Viable Alternatives
Sood, who also chairs the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council, specifically mentioned sodium-ion and aluminium air batteries as potential alternatives to lithium. While India holds significant reserves of lithium in Jammu and Kashmir and Rajasthan, mining operations are yet to take off, prompting the exploration of alternative options for battery production.
Addressing the Production Scale Challenge
Efforts are underway in India for the production of lithium-ion batteries, but these efforts are currently limited to a small scale. Sood emphasized the importance of exploring alternatives in view of the limited abundance of lithium in India. He posed the question of whether India can potentially adopt sodium-ion technology and aluminum air batteries for electric vehicles on a commercial scale, as an alternative to standard lithium-ion batteries.
Aluminium Air Batteries: A Unique Solution
Aluminium air batteries offer a distinctive solution to traditional recharging methods. These batteries do not require external recharging; rather, the aluminum plates used as anode are replaced once fully used. However, this approach presents logistical challenges that need to be addressed for widespread adoption.
Leveraging Indigenous Sodium-ion Battery Technologies
Sood highlighted that some of the sodium-ion battery technologies developed by private firms and CSIR within India can be utilized for commercial-scale production. This indigenous development could offer a promising path for achieving the necessary scale and production capacity for alternative battery technologies.
Government-Supported Research Initiatives
In a recent statement, Sood emphasized the potential for sodium-ion batteries in the automotive industry, pointing out the abundance of sodium as a cost-effective advantage. The Science and Technology Department revealed that the government is backing 32 research projects related to battery storage. Promising developments include prototypes of sodium-ion battery packs and accessories created by IIT Bhubaneswar and Kharagpur.
Challenges in Transitioning to Alternative Battery Solutions
Despite the potential of alternative options like sodium-ion or aluminium air batteries, Verma highlighted the critical challenge of reducing manufacturing costs to integrate them into the electric mobility ecosystem. The need for substantial investments and addressing production bottlenecks further complicates the transition away from lithium-ion batteries.
Perspectives from Industry Leaders
Verma emphasized the industry’s stance, acknowledging the growing interest in alternative battery solutions while underscoring India’s potential as a leader in lithium-ion battery technology. Meanwhile, Sabnis emphasized the necessity for investments in research, strategic partnerships, and talent development, particularly in a relatively early-stage landscape for sodium and aluminium battery technologies.
Advancements in Lithium-ion Battery Technology
Industry representatives recognize the advantages of lithium-ion batteries, attributing the impressive decline in production costs from $1,000 to $100 per kilowatt hour since 2010. Despite the momentum towards alternative solutions, the industry remains focused on refining and maximizing the potential of lithium-ion batteries, positioning India as a global leader in this space.
Growing Demand for Lithium in India
According to a report by the International Institute of Sustainable Development (IISD) released in September 2023, lithium demand in India which stood at 1,634 tonnes in 2022, is expected to reach 11,398 tonnes by 2030 in a ‘business as usual’ scenario, while in case of an accelerated deployment, the demand would surge to 40,499 tonnes by the end of this decade.
Impact on Imports and Government Initiatives
Although lithium imports do not form a significant chunk of India’s import bill, the demand for EV batteries and other segments has increased the imports. In FY23, India imported lithium worth $33.05 million, higher by 49% from $22.16 million in the previous fiscal, according to data from the commerce ministry. The import of lithium-ion batteries increased 56.84% to $2.87 billion in FY23.
Although India is looking to boost manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries in view of its ambitious energy transition and electric mobility goals, through the ₹18,000 crore production linked incentive scheme for advanced chemistry cells (ACC), efforts are underway to look for alternative chemistries.
Incentives for Research and Development
Government also plans to offer incentives for research and development of ‘niche’ batteries, wherein newer chemistries would be explored. Lithium iron phosphate, nickel manganese cobalt, and lithium titanium oxide batteries, which come under the category of lithium-ion batteries, are among the most commercially viable batteries.
Seeking Lithium Alternatives
The search for new technologies and battery chemistry comes against the backdrop of an acute shortage of lithium in India. Although, the Centre is making efforts to source lithium and cobalt from other major producers, including Australia and Argentina, and new sites for lithium exploration have also been discovered in India, parallel efforts are underway for other options.
Exploring Alternative Battery Technologies for Electric Vehicles in India
Amid the Indian government’s determination to combat climate change and enhance the production of electric vehicles domestically, efforts to embrace alternative battery technologies have gained momentum. Incidents of fire affecting electric scooters and cars in the country have also accentuated the urgency to seek safer chemistries.
Diverse Battery Options Under Research
In addition to sodium sulphide, global research is underway on alternative options such as vanadium batteries and flow batteries. These efforts underscore the importance of exploring diverse chemistries to meet the demands of the evolving electric vehicle landscape.
India’s Potential in Global Supply Chain
Industry experts emphasize that prioritizing the development of newer chemistries within the country would position India at the forefront of catering to the global supply chain for electric vehicle batteries. This move aligns with the nation’s objectives of achieving 500GW of renewable energy by 2030 and striving for carbon neutrality by 2070.
Government Support and Fiscal Measures
The Indian government has also demonstrated its commitment to advancing battery manufacturing and storage. In the Union budget for FY23, specific encouragement was outlined for the private sector to innovate sustainable business models for ‘battery or energy as a service’. This proactive approach aims to address the burgeoning need for advanced and environmentally conscious energy solutions.
