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Daily News Wrap-Up: APTEL Criticizes MERC for Denying Petitioner Relief

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					</table>Aluminum manufacturer <a href="https://www.hindalco.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hindalco Industries</a> will set up a ₹8 billion (~$95 million) plant near Sambalpur in Odisha to exponentially increase its manufacturing capacity of aluminum foil used in rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles (EV) and energy storage systems.
The company, which is a subsidiary of the Aditya Birla Group, expects to initially produce 25,000 tons of the foil widely used in lithium-ion and sodium-ion cells.
The project will be powered by a 25 MW solar power project and access additional solar energy from a 400 kV national grid connection.
The new facility is scheduled for commissioning in July 2025 and will supplement Hindalco’s existing battery foil manufacturing facility at Mouda in Maharashtra.
The Mouda facility is already in the process of qualifying with lithium-ion cell manufacturers in India, Europe, and the United States.
By 2030, India is expected to see the demand for battery-grade aluminum foil in India grow manifold to 40,000 tons, primarily due to the mushrooming growth in gigafactories for advanced cell manufacturing, the company said.
“We are seeing fast traction in battery materials demand, driven by an impressive outlook for the EV and grid storage sectors. Raw material localization is critical in such strategic sectors. Hindalco is thus making various investments in battery materials and technologies towards building Atmanirbhar Bharat. Investment in this new battery foil mill is another such step in this direction,” said Satish Pai, Managing Director at Hindalco.
Cell makers primarily use high-performance aluminum foils as a current collector for the cathode materials.
Hindalco is developing such foils to increase mechanical strength, fine-tune the thickness, and enhance the surface characteristics of these advanced application foils. It is also developing new coatings on the battery foils that will boost performance by delivering better adhesion, lower resistance, and reduced corrosion.
Aluminum anodes <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/aluminum-anodes-show-promise-powerful-batteries" target="_blank" rel="noopener">showed</a> promise for cheaper, safer, and more powerful batteries that offer higher density and longer driving ranges for EVs, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology recently found.
Hindalco Industries <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/ayana-supply-100-mw-rtc-renewable-hindalco-odisha" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> a power purchase agreement with Ayana Renewable Power for the supply of 100 MW of round-the-clock renewable power to its smelters in Odisha.

Hindalco to Set Up ₹8 Billion Battery Foil Manufacturing Facility in Odisha

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					</table>Researchers at the Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science &amp; Technology (<a href="https://www.dgist.ac.kr/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DGIST</a>) said they have developed a new electrolyte technology through magnetic nanoparticles that can improve both the stability and lifespan of next-generation lithium batteries.
Lithium metal is actively being seen as the next-generation anode material.
Its commercialization was hindered until now owing to the problem of the generation of the dendrite, which is heavily dependent on the ion transport phenomenon in the electrolyte.
If a lithium metal battery is manufactured with the electrolyte developed by the team and used while applying a rotating magnetic field on the outside, it can dramatically improve lifespan compared to the existing system, the researchers affirmed.
At present most commercialized batteries use graphite electrodes as negative electrodes. However, a graphite negative electrode comes with its own setbacks; in terms of energy density owing to its size and weight occupying a lot of space inside the battery.
This limits long battery operation and therefore the demand for a lighter and smaller anode material has come to light.
The development is expected to solve the problem of “dendrite growth” – a twig-shaped crystal that accumulates on the surface of the anode during the lithium battery charging process — by turning the liquid electrolyte into a dynamic state and can possibly accelerate the commercialization of next-generation batteries.
Professor Lee Hong-Kyung of the Department of Energy Science and Engineering at DGIST explained that it is a new concept electrolyte system that can create a dynamic electrolyte and can change the paradigm of electrolyte research through magnetic nanoparticles.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-47295 size-full" src="https://mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/5.-lithium-metal-battery-structure-with-nano-stirring-bars-capable-of-convection-induction.png" alt="" width="2116" height="884" srcset="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/5.-lithium-metal-battery-structure-with-nano-stirring-bars-capable-of-convection-induction.png 2116w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/5.-lithium-metal-battery-structure-with-nano-stirring-bars-capable-of-convection-induction-300x125.png 300w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/5.-lithium-metal-battery-structure-with-nano-stirring-bars-capable-of-convection-induction-2000x836.png 2000w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/5.-lithium-metal-battery-structure-with-nano-stirring-bars-capable-of-convection-induction-768x321.png 768w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/5.-lithium-metal-battery-structure-with-nano-stirring-bars-capable-of-convection-induction-1536x642.png 1536w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/5.-lithium-metal-battery-structure-with-nano-stirring-bars-capable-of-convection-induction-2048x856.png 2048w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/5.-lithium-metal-battery-structure-with-nano-stirring-bars-capable-of-convection-induction-650x272.png 650w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/5.-lithium-metal-battery-structure-with-nano-stirring-bars-capable-of-convection-induction-624x261.png 624w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/5.-lithium-metal-battery-structure-with-nano-stirring-bars-capable-of-convection-induction-600x251.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 2116px) 100vw, 2116px" />
The team of researchers produced a nano-spin bar (NSB) that responds to an external magnetic field so that the static electrolyte solution in the battery can be turned to a dynamic state and added to the electrolyte solution to generate micro-convection.
The team found out it was possible to rotate NSBs distributed throughout the electrolyte by applying an external rotating magnetic field to transmit power remotely.
This resulted in facilitating fast ion transport while reducing ion diffusion by about 35% compared to the previous method, thus enabling homogeneous ion transportation. The team said when the ion transport velocity is faster and the homogeneity is improved, it is easier to control dendrite.
The team said the dynamic ion transport realized through the application of magnetic nanoparticles (NSB) and an external magnetic field can promote rapid and uniform transport of lithium ions.
Additionally, the same effect could be achieved when they were added to other electrolytes.
The research was carried out with support from the <a href="https://english.motie.go.kr/www/main.do" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ministry of Trade</a>, and the <a href="https://www.postf.org/en/main.do" target="_blank" rel="noopener">POSCO TJ Park Foundation</a>, along with the <a href="https://www.nrf.re.kr/eng/main/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Research Foundation of Korea&#8217;s Excellent New Research</a>.
In December last year, researchers at the University of Sydney <a href="https://mercomindia.com/researchers-claim-sodium-sulfur-battery-potent-than-lithium-ion/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> to have developed a new, low-cost sodium-sulfur battery with four times the energy capacity of lithium-ion batteries.
In the same month, researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) <a href="https://mercomindia.com/researchers-claim-aqueous-redox-flow-battery-for-renewable-storage/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> to have built a stable kilowatt-scale aqueous redox flow battery (AOFB) with high-performance organic redox-active molecules for renewable storage.

Researchers Find a Way to Commercialize Next-Generation Lithium Batteries

Here are some noteworthy cleantech announcements of the day from around the world:
In a recent notification, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) <a href="https://pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1809377" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reiterated</a> the inclusion of renewable project development as a part of corporate social responsibility (CSR) activity. The Companies Act, 2013, Schedule VII mentions an illustrative list of activities that companies can undertake under their CSR policies. The list also includes ensuring environmental sustainability, ecological balance, protection of flora and fauna, animal welfare, agroforestry, conservation of natural resources, and maintaining the quality of soil, air, and water, including contribution to the Clean Ganga Fund set-up by the central government for rejuvenation of river Ganga. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has also clarified that CSR activities enumerated in Schedule VII of the Act and that &#8220;Renewable Energy Projects&#8221; must be covered under item no. (iv) of Schedule VII.
The California Independent System Operator (ISO) Board of Governors <a href="http://www.caiso.com/Documents/California-ISO-Board-Approves-Transmission-Plan-for-Next-10-Years.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approved</a> the 2021-2022 10-Year Transmission Plan worth $2.9 billion. The plan identified 23 projects for system expansions, upgrades, and reinforcements to boost grid resiliency during the state&#8217;s electrification push and ongoing transition to carbon-free resources. The increase is attributed to a rapid acceleration required for new generations driven by the state&#8217;s goals of getting all electricity from carbon-free resources by 2045 and further electrifying the transportation, industrial, and residential sectors. The plan is based on an intermediate level of about 2,700 MW of new resources per year.
Automaker Stellantis N V and LG Energy Solution <a href="https://www.stellantis.com/en/news/press-releases/2022/march/stellantis-and-lg-energy-solution-to-invest-over-5-billion-cad-in-joint-venture-for-first-large-scale-lithium-Ion-battery-production-plant-in-canada?adobe_mc_ref=" target="_blank" rel="noopener">executed</a> binding, definitive agreements to establish large-scale, domestic, electric vehicle battery manufacturing facility in Canada. The joint venture company will invest over C$5 billion (~$4.1 billion) in establishing operations, including an all-new battery manufacturing facility located in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Plant construction activities are scheduled to begin later this year, with production operations planned to launch in the first quarter of 2024. The facility aims to have more than 45 GWh annual production capacity. The joint venture company will produce lithium-ion battery cells and modules to meet a significant portion of Stellantis&#8217; vehicle production requirements in North America.
The World Bank <a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2022/03/23/serbia-to-bring-clean-energy-solutions-to-households-with-world-bank-support" target="_blank" rel="noopener">provided</a> Serbia a $50 million loan to support the country&#8217;s shift to environment-friendly energy sources. Under the project, named Scaling Up Residential Clean Energy (SURCE), Serbian citizens will be provided with cleaner and more efficient heating solutions and rooftop solar photovoltaic systems. Some 25,000 households are expected to directly benefit from the project, while the solar installations are expected to increase Serbia&#8217;s installed renewable energy capacity by 4 MW. The project is designed to lead to energy savings, increased comfort, and warmer homes for residents through investments in clean and efficient heating solutions and rooftop solar photovoltaic systems, shifting away from air-polluting fossil fuels that dominate Serbia&#8217;s energy mix.
Pure play sustainability consultancy ERM and Source Energie team up to <a href="https://www.erm.com/news/erm-dolphyn-and-source-energie-announce-plans-to-develop-gigawatt-scale-green-hydrogen-floating-wind-sites-in-the-celtic-sea/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">develop</a> floating wind sites in the Celtic Sea that produce green hydrogen. The technology combines electrolysis, desalination, and hydrogen production on a floating wind platform. The hydrogen generated will be sent to the coast through a pipeline. The first project under development, named Dylan and located 60 km off Pembrokeshire, is targeted for deployment in 2027 or 2028. It could be expanded to over 2 GW in the future, which would deliver enough hydrogen to heat around one million homes. The Welsh Government Smart Living Initiative supports the project. As part of its commitment to net zero and the Wales Hydrogen Pathway, the Welsh Government has funded phase 1 and phase 2 studies to explore the suitability of the Celtic Sea to combine offshore floating wind and hydrogen production.

Daily News Wrap-Up: MNRE Reiterates Renewables Expansion Under CSR Activity

<a href="https://www.mgmotor.co.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MG Motor India</a> has announced its partnership with eChargeBays, a Delhi-based startup, to assist its customers in setting up infrastructure at their homes for charging their electric vehicles.
According to the company statement, MG Motor will send experts to identify the best way in which MG ZS EV buyers can install an EV charger at home.
“Currently, our EV manufacturers do not provide solutions. So, with this partnership between MG Motor and eChargeBays, we can now provide the solutions right from the electrician to the installation and demonstration of EV chargers”, a company spokesperson told Mercom.
The move comes ahead of the MG ZS EV launch expected by the end of 2019.
Though he did not divulge the number of MG ZS EV that will be launched this year, he mentioned that ten fast-charging stations would be set up in five cities of New Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, and Bangalore.
“We will be installing two fast-charging stations in each of these cities. It will take 45 minutes to charge 80% of the EV battery. Apart from this, we’ll also be setting up slow-charging stations for the benefit of the buyers,” he added.
Founded in the U.K. in 1924, Morris Garages (MG) vehicles were known for their sports cars, roadsters, and cabriolet series. MG ZS has already secured 2,000 orders within two months of its U.K. launch.
According to Rajesh Singh, the CEO of eChargeBays, “Most prospective EV buyers are hesitant on account of the limited charging infrastructure available. We aim to provide Indian car owners with a robust and safe one-stop solution for their home charging-related needs using our home charge solution. Apart from this, eChargeBays will also launch a series of service solutions in the charging infrastructure space, which would aim at providing a seamless EV charging experience to EV customers.”
MG’s partnership with eChargeBays is the latest in a series of alliances with EV charging players aimed at creating a robust charging infrastructure in the country.
Recently, Tata Motors Limited (<a href="https://www.tatamotors.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">TML</a>), a <a href="https://mercomindia.com/tata-motors-tata-power-charging-stations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">global automobile manufacturer</a>, and Tata Power have also joined forces to set up around 300 electric vehicle charging stations by the end of FY 2020.
Just a few days ago, Mercom reported that the Noida Metro Rail Corporation <a href="https://mercomindia.com/noida-metro-floats-tender-ev-charging-stations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">floated</a> a tender to set up charging stations for electric vehicles along the Noida-Greater Noida Metro Corridor.
Image credit: Tiia Monto [CC BY-SA <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">3.0</a>]

MG Motor Ties Up with Delhi-based Startup for Home Charging Infrastructure for EVs

<a href="https://www.panasonic.com/global/corporate/ir/pdf/en190509-3.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Panasonic Corporation</a>, a company developing diverse electronic technologies and solutions, has announced that it has reached a collaboration and acquisition agreement with GS-Solar (China) Company Limited, a thin film solar manufacturer. The deal for an undisclosed amount is likely to conclude in November this year.
Under the agreement, GS-Solar (China) will acquire Panasonic&#8217;s solar manufacturing subsidiary, Panasonic Energy Malaysia, while establishing a new company with Panasonic. The shareholding would be 90:10 with GS-Solar holding 90% share and Panasonic owning the remaining 10%.
The board of directors of Panasonic had announced earlier about their approval to form a collaboration with GS-Solar for its PV business through a company split (simplified absorption type), to transfer its PV R&amp;D function to a new unnamed wholly owned subsidiary.
A company statement has informed that the two companies will jointly operate and invest in this new company in Japan, focused on the research and development of HIT technology. GS-Solar (China) will integrate Panasonic&#8217;s innovations and manufacturing technologies in the field of HIT, combining these with its own competencies to drive progress.
This collaboration also enables GS-Solar (China) to help start the industrialization and large-scale expansion of next-generation heterojunction technologies on a global scale. It has been specializing in solar cell technology research and development and product manufacturing for more than ten years, with an aim towards playing a leading role in achieving grid parity.
The collaboration will also see Panasonic actively mobilize energy storage technologies, home energy management systems and emergency power storage systems, as well as other new energy resources, to help support the development of advanced heterojunction technologies and improve their product competitiveness.
This new collaboration is likely to integrate further the HEMS, PV modules, storage batteries, ECO Cute heat pump systems, and electric vehicle charging solutions of Panasonic, and expand the scope of collaboration with GS-Solar (China).
The move by Panasonic came in the wake of falling solar prices in Japan combined with less capacity addition leading to losses incurred since fiscal 2016. The move aimed to seek profitability in the business segment by early 2021 fiscal.
Although it is selling off its Malaysia unit, Panasonic will maintain its solar cell production bases in Japan and the U.S.A. The release further informed that Panasonic expects its group net profit to plummet to 200 billion yen ($1.82 billion) for the year ending March 2020, with a drop of 30%.
The company, which partners with electric-car maker Tesla on battery production, has announced restructuring costs under a three-year plan announced the same day in which it will seek to cut 100 billion yen in fixed costs by the year ending in March 2022, by withdrawing from money-losing business lines.
The company sources have also informed that the sales for the current fiscal year are forecast to decline 1% to 7.9 trillion yen while operating profit is projected to drop 27% to 300 billion yen, its first decline in three years.
<a href="https://mercomindia.com/panasonic-ev-charging-station-bses-delhi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">In India,</a> Panasonic has collaborated with BSES Yamuna Power Limited to set up an electric vehicle charging station at their New Delhi head office. This pilot facility was set up to study the charging behavior and pattern, real-time charging data, app-based control, and automated payment mechanism, built in compliance with Bharat EV AC 001 standards and is equipped with 10 kW power and can charge up to three electric vehicles simultaneously, Mercom had reported earlier.

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