India needs 50 GWh of battery storage within 2.5 yrs for planned EV transition: NITI Aayog official
EV batteries are not compatible for tropical climate, according to Sajid Mubashir, scientist, Department of Science and Technology, who was also speaking at the same event
New Delhi: India will need 50 gigawatt hour (GWh) of battery storage capacity over the next two-and-a-half years to support the projected growth in renewable energy and meet the national electric mobility target, a senior NITI Aayog official said.
“If India moves on the projected path of adoption of electric vehicles and the battery storage, adoption of the renewable sources of energy, the requirement for the next 2.5 years should be 50 GWh of the battery storage (sic),” Aayog’s Principal Consultant for mobility Anil Srivastava said speaking at India Energy Forum-Renewable Energy Summit here.
Speaking on Lithium-ion (Li) batteries, he said that every 10 GWh of Li-ion cell manufacturing requires $1-billion capex. “We have proposed to the government that each kilowatt hour of the manufacturing of the Li-ion cell should be given a direct fiscal incentive… It should be a production-linked direct fiscal incentive” he added.
Srivastava also said that EVs are 10 times cheaper than internal combustion engines and it is only a matter of tipping point for their adoption. “By 2030, 95 per cent of miles travelled by passengers would be through transport as a service in developed countries,” he added.
However, current EV batteries have certain issues. EV batteries are not compatible for tropical climate, according to Sajid Mubashir, scientist, Department of Science and Technology, who was also speaking at the same event.
“Climate is a huge challenge for EV transition, bringing vehicles from mediterranian climate to tropical climate. They work best under 35 degree Celsius, after which there is a risk of explosion. We should set the target of making batteries which can work at 50 degree Celsius,” Mubashir said.
Source: energy.economictimes.indiatimes
