6-Aug-2018: World’s first thermal battery plant to be unveiled in Andhra Pradesh
The world’s first-ever facility to create thermal batteries will be inaugurated in Andhra Pradesh. The state’s Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will be present at the unveiling of the plant, that will see thermal batteries being manufactured by Bharat Energy Storage Technology Private Limited (BEST). These batteries are based on alternative sources of energy production, and their presence is expected to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels.
Through thermal batteries, BEST will look to store energy that can power telecommunications, commercial enterprises, electric vehicles as well as charging systems. Not only will it help create renewable energy, but these batteries are also expected to help provide energy to remote areas. As per the plans known, BEST aims to commercially open up the plant by May 2019, where it could provide an initial capacity of 1000MW. In its first phase, it will produce batteries for telecom, mini/microgrids, and electric buses, that are expected to run for up to 800kms on a single charge.
By 2025, BEST aims to expand the capacity of its thermal battery plant to 10GW. This technology, patented in India by Dr Patrick Glynn in 2016, scores over Li-ion batteries due to lesser heat sensitivity, as well as a smaller carbon footprint. In addition, these also outperform solar panels, which are expensive to maintain, and highly weather-dependent during operation. While conforming to the Indian government’s 2030 e-vehicles goal, BEST also plans to make batteries that are completely free of hard metal or inflammable substances, so that re-usable materials could make up 95 per cent of all thermal batteries.
Thermal battery technology: Conventional battery technology is based on the system of charging/discharging cycles that are driven by electricity. For example, the Lithium-ion battery, a staple of many electronic devices, consists of electric charges being transferred from electrodes. Energy is derived from this battery, when lithium atoms turn into lithium ions (Li+), and get stored when this reaction reverses. Therefore, Li-ion batteries work on the basis of electrical energy.
Thermal batteries, on the other hand, use thermal energy to operate, i.e., the energy created by temperature differences. Therefore, the energy transfer in thermal batteries helps store heat when heat travels from one part of the battery setup to the other. For that to happen, a thermal battery consists of two parts: a cool zone known as sink, and a hot source called source. Both these sides consist of compounds known as phase-changing materials (PCMs), which can change their state of matter on the basis of a physical/chemical reaction.
When the sink of a thermal battery receives heat, it transforms physically or chemically, thereby storing energy, while the source cools down. During operation, the sink is cooled down, so it releases the stored energy, while the source heats up. Depending on the nature of the battery, the system can derive heat from any source, which makes a thermal battery very versatile. Thermal battery technology was patented in India by Dr Patrick Glynn in 2016.
Given the positives from thermal battery technology, its main application lies in the possible integration with power grids, that can help industrial demand, while also supporting public transport systems and telecom grids. In the field of power transmission, thermal batteries will be able to function as long as there is a heat source to drive their operation. This could help solve power issues in remote areas, and also address rising energy requirements from regional or national grids. Power-intensive industries will also be major beneficiaries, and the transformation will mean reduced dependence on fossil fuels for energy. Telecom infrastructure is also a target area, as thermal batteries will help maintain signal strength and network connectivity. This, in turn, could also improve internet penetration and ultra-fast mobile services.