Context: State-owned Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. has entered into a joint venture with Israel-based battery technology startup Phinergy to develop aluminium-air technology based battery systems for electric vehicles and stationary storage, as well as hydrogen storage solutions.

What is an aluminium-air battery?

• Aluminium-air batteries are said to be a lower cost and more energy-dense alternative to lithium-ion batteries which are currently in widespread use for electric vehicles in India.
• Aluminium-air batteries utilise oxygen in the air which reacts with an aluminium hydroxide solution to oxidise the aluminium and produce electricity.
• One of the key downsides of aluminium-air batteries is that they cannot be recharged like lithium-ion batteries.
• Therefore, large scale use of aluminium-air battery based vehicles would require the wide availability of battery swapping stations.
• Aluminium-air battery-based electric vehicles are, however, expected to offer much greater range of 400 km or more per battery compared to lithium-ion batteries which currently offer a range of 150-200 kilometres per full charge.

Why is this technology important for India’s EV push?

• India is largely dependent on imports of lithium-ion batteries from China for electric vehicles.
• While some Indian companies have started manufacturing lithium-ion batteries in the country, metal-air battery solutions including aluminium-air batteries could offer a viable alternative to lithium-ion batteries and boost the domestic manufacture of batteries to meet India’s growing demand for energy storage.
• Aluminium-air based batteries are also expected to be significantly cheaper than lithium-ion batteries, thereby reducing the cost of electric vehicle usage and boosting electric vehicle adoption in the country.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/indian-oil-corporation-phinergy-aluminium-batteries-7235560/

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