Vikram Solar to enter solid-state battery manufacturing

Indian PV manufacturer Vikram Solar says it plans to open a 1 GWh fully integrated solid-state cell and battery factory, expandable up to 5 GWh.

From pv magazine India

Vikram Solar said it plans to open a 1 GWh fully integrated solid-state cell and battery manufacturing facility with proprietary battery management system (BMS) technology. It said the facility will be initially designed to scale up to 5 GWh to meet growing global energy demand.

“Our solid-state batteries, developed and manufactured with majority components which are India-made, support ‘Atmanirbharta’ [self-reliance] and align with India’s renewable energy and climate goals,” said Gyanesh Chaudhary, chairman and managing director of Vikram Solar. “Leveraging the technology of our partners, Entity2 Energy Storage, which holds several patents for non-lithium solid-state battery technologies, we are committed to producing batteries that can be scaled up to meet the growing energy needs.”

Solid-state batteries offer advantages such as higher power storage due to minimal loss of electroactive metal and less risk of fire and overheating. They operate in a wide range of temperatures and conditions with no dendrite formation and provide stable performance for up to 10,000 cycles. These batteries are stable at charge rates up to 5 C, enhancing efficiency and performance. The majority of raw materials are sourced domestically, ensuring supply chain resilience and supporting local industries.

The company has claimed that the entire product is recyclable, eco-friendly and manufactured from non-hazardous components, minimizing environmental impact.

Chaudhary cited research firm Crisil as stating that India currently meets only 15% to 20% of its power needs from renewable energy, with a revised target of 50% by 2030. He said that achieving this goal will require significant investment in battery storage to accommodate a higher share of variable generation in the energy mix. He claimed that Vikram Solar’s PowerHive battery storage system addresses this need, with projections showing a 23 GW to 24 GW of capacity additions in battery energy storage systems (BESS) from 2025 to 2030.

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