India’s Reliance Industries said on Monday that its plans for battery storage manufacturing have not changed, after a Bloomberg News report claimed the company had paused plans to make lithium-ion battery cells
in India because it couldn’t secure Chinese technology.
Reliance Industries firmly stated that there has been no change in its plans to build a world-leading battery storage manufacturing ecosystem, from cell production to containerised energy storage systems, and that everything is progressing according to schedule. The conglomerate, led by Mukesh Ambani, had planned to start making cells this year and was in talks with Chinese company Xiamen Hithium Energy Storage Technology to license cell technology, according to Bloomberg News.
The talks stopped after Xiamen pulled out of the partnership due to China’s restrictions on exporting technology in key sectors, which led Reliance to focus more on assembling battery energy storage systems. Reuters could not immediately confirm the report.
Last October, Beijing announced new rules on exporting lithium battery components, requiring exporters to get permits, which tightened China’s control over technology important for energy storage and electric vehicles.
