The Rosatom State Nuclear Energy has announced its plans to build a 3 GW lithium-ion battery manufacturing facility in the Russian province of Kaliningrad. The province is located between Poland and Lithuania along the Baltic coast. The lithium-ion batteries with be based on a technology developed by Enertech International, a South Korean developer. In March 2021, Rosatom acquired a 49 per cent stake in the company.
Revising the original plan of building a facility with a capacity of 2 GW, the plant is likely to commence production in 2026. The capacity has been increased, keeping in mind the rising demand in the Russian market. The plant may be further expanded to generate a production capacity of up to 12 GW. The supply of batteries will primarily cater to the domestic car manufacturers in the country. Rosatom’s unit, Renera, will own and operate the factory.
In October 2021, Rosatom also ventured into the energy storage business with the setting up of TVEL Fuel Company. At present, Rosatom caters to over 20 per cent of the country’s electricity demand with its nuclear plants. The state aims to significantly reduce its import dependence of fuels.
REGlobal’s Views: With increasing renewable energy penetration across the globe, there is a significant focus on deploying energy storage systems to manage intermittency. Rosatom, like other battery manufacturers, is ramping up its production capacity to match the demand.
