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India joins select club of high-tech flexible, rechargeable-battery producers

India joined the exclusive band of nations to produce highly advanced flexible rechargeable batteries that would revolutionise the powering of not only cellular phones, laptops and satellites, but also buses and cars and back-up systems in homes and hospitals.

An agreement for transfer of technology and production in India was signed between Chandra Mohan, chairman of Twenty-First Century Battery Limited and V G Keramidas, vice-president of US-based Telcordia in the presence of V S Ramamurthy, secretary Department of Science and Technology.

The lithium ion battery cell, which is only a 1.2-mm thick laminate, is most flexible material, which can be cut and bent to any shape or size without deterioration of its properties.

These not only occupy less space but are also capable of taking 2,500 recharges with almost the same quantum of charged power. The material in it is also environment-friendly.

The pilot plant would be located at Ropar in Punjab and the project is expected to achieve the capacity utilisation of 12 mega watt hours in 12 to 15 months. The agreement provides for the capacity expansion to 50 mwh after five years.

This technology is covered by 43 world-wide patents with 17 firms from Japan, Korea and Malaysia having production licence with the freedom to manufacture and market products anywhere in the world.

Explaining the technological aspects of the battery, Keramidas said that it was based on inter-collation movement of atoms and it was the need for a stable back-up system in the United States that stimulated the invention.

He said any low profit industries ranging from computers to satellite could use these batteries. The batteries were found to operate in extreme conditions ranging from -30 degrees Centigrade to +50 degrees Centigrade without significant deterioration in performance.

The Indian company will initially target high value-added market segments like mobile phones, laptops communication sets, miner lamps, domestic invertors and ups for computer systems for banks, and hospitals.

Ramamurthy said the importance of the project could be gauged from the fact that the Technology Development Board of the Science and Technology Department was involved in the project through equity participation.

The Rs 265-million project has been financed by IDBI, UTI and ICICI. This includes a technical know-how fee of $ 2.5 million.

UNI

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