India has made significant progress towards self-reliance in advanced energy storage with the development of an indigenous sodium-ion battery technology. The International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI) has created a sodium-ion battery technology that has entered the industrial performance validation stage. ARCI, an autonomous research and development center under the Department of Science and Technology, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Voltasun Technologies Pvt. Ltd. to validate and potentially commercialize sodium-ion pouch cells.
The MoU, signed on December 15, involves the development and supply of 80 five ampere-hour sodium-ion pouch cells by ARCI, which will be evaluated by Voltasun Technologies. The cells have been validated at the standard laboratory scale, and testing and validation under field conditions are currently underway. Voltasun Technologies, a startup engaged in battery materials, cell manufacturing, consultancy, and research services, will use its industrial customer network to evaluate and expand the application potential of the sodium-ion battery technology, particularly for stationary energy storage applications.
The collaboration will be implemented in two phases, with the first phase involving the supply of 80 pouch cells by ARCI and performance validation with feedback from Voltasun. The second phase will involve the supply of two additional sets of 80 pouch cells each through a separate amendment agreement. The validation of the technology can help commercialize sodium-ion batteries, which are safer and lower in cost than lithium-ion batteries widely used today for portable electronics, electric vehicles, and renewable energy storage systems.
The development of sodium-ion battery technology is significant as it can provide a cost-effective and safer alternative to lithium-ion batteries. Sodium is abundant and inexpensive, making it an attractive option for large-scale energy storage applications. The collaboration between ARCI and Voltasun Technologies is expected to accelerate the commercialization of sodium-ion batteries, which can have a significant impact on India’s energy storage sector. With the increasing demand for renewable energy and electric vehicles, the development of sodium-ion battery technology can help India reduce its dependence on imported energy storage technologies and achieve self-reliance in the sector.