Tata’s Agratas develops indigenous lithium cell technology

Agratas, the battery arm of Tata Group, is developing proprietary lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cell technology for its factory at Sanand in Gujarat. The company is also setting up a pilot production line for domestically designed LFP cells and a new research facility in Bengaluru for battery chemistry development.

Lithium Iron Phosphate Cell Technology

Lithium iron phosphate is a lithium-ion battery chemistry that uses lithium iron phosphate as the cathode material. LFP cells are known in battery engineering for thermal stability, long cycle life, and lower reliance on nickel and cobalt than nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) cells. Agratas is building in-house LFP capability as part of a shift towards domestic design and manufacturing. The company has assembled a technical team with engineers from India, South Korea, and China to refine production processes and validate battery performance.

Sanand Battery Project

The Sanand facility in Gujarat is planned with an initial annual capacity of 20 GWh. GWh, or gigawatt-hour, is a unit used to measure large-scale battery production capacity and energy storage output. The plant is expected to begin production of NMC battery cells by early 2027. Agratas is using licensed technology from Japan’s Automotive Energy Supply Corp. for NMC cells, which is a different approach from its in-house LFP programme.

Battery Manufacturing and Supply Chain

China has tightened export restrictions on critical battery manufacturing knowledge, and this has increased the focus on self-reliance in cell technology. Battery cell manufacturing requires control over materials, electrode design, electrolyte formulation, formation processes, and quality testing. Agratas is investing over $400 million in a research facility in Bengaluru. The facility is intended for LFP and related battery chemistries, which are used in electric vehicles and stationary energy storage systems.

Important Facts for Exams

• LFP stands for lithium iron phosphate, a lithium-ion battery chemistry used in electric vehicles and energy storage systems.
• NMC stands for nickel manganese cobalt, another major lithium-ion battery chemistry used in high-energy applications.
• GWh is a standard unit for measuring large battery plant capacity.
• Jaguar Land Rover is a British automotive company and a key customer for Tata-linked electric vehicle supply chains.

Agratas also has a factory in Somerset, England, which is expected to begin production around mid-2025. The Somerset plant is planned to supply Jaguar Land Rover for the Range Rover Electric SUV.