Why in the News?
The Chatterjee Group is considering commercial production of indigenous sodium ion batteries, following successful development of a high speed charging Na ion battery by its research arm.
Key Development
- Scientists at Research Institute for Sustainable Energy (RISE) have developed an India sourced sodium ion battery.
- Battery charges up to 94 percent in 5 minutes.
- Energy density: ~180 Wh per kg, comparable to lithium iron phosphate batteries.
- Prototype may be ready for industrial scale deployment in 2 to 3 years.
- Estimated commercial investment could reach 10 to 12 billion dollars.
About Sodium Ion Batteries
- Use sodium instead of lithium as the charge carrier.
- Sodium is abundant, low cost and widely available.
- Safer thermal profile compared to lithium ion batteries.
Key advantages
- No use of lithium, cobalt, nickel or copper.
- Reduces dependence on critical mineral imports, especially from China.
- Lower supply chain vulnerability.
Commercial Potential Areas
- Electric mobility, especially two and three wheelers due to fast charging needs.
- Grid scale energy storage for renewable energy integration.
- Off grid and rural energy systems where robust and low cost storage is required.
| [2025] In the context of electric vehicle batteries, consider the following elements:Â
I. Cobalt II. Graphite III. Lithium IV. Nickel How many of the above usually make up battery cathodes? (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All the four |
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
