Andhra Pradesh unveils world's first-ever thermal plant unit

Amravati, August 7: Andhra Pradesh has always shown a positive a bright side of the state with accepting technology to its best use. Welcoming every innovative initiative, the list adds up another first in its pocket with Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu unveiled the world's first-ever high energy storage device in Amravati.

It has been manufactured by the Bharat Energy Storage Technology Private Limited (BEST), the first-of-its-kind cell is aimed at boosting up renewable sources of energy production, instead of non-renewable fossil fuel-based energy generation. The thermal battery, first-of-its-kind anywhere in the world, is a revolutionary and disruptive technology patented by Dr. Patrick Glynn in 2016 in India.

 

The BEST also aims to set up a Greenfield facility in Andhra Pradesh to manufacture these batteries. It is expected to invest Rs. 660 crores and create employment for 3,000 people within three years' time. From a capacity of 1000 megawatts, the BEST would enhance the same to 10 GW in the next six to seven years. Batteries suited for telecommunications, mini or micro-grids and electric buses would be manufactured in the first phase.

 

Under the project, electric buses, produced in collaboration with Bilva Motors, a global consortium, could deliver an 800-kilometer range with a single charge, with the help of BEST's thermal cells. The cell can be customized to be charged in four or eight hours, depending on the source. It can also provide output ranging between 5Kwh and 1 Mwh.

The plant in Andhra Pradesh is expected to start its commercial operations by May 2019. Although solar power is considered the most reliable source of energy yet it has pitfalls. The energy generation is not possible after sunset and high rainfall areas, which brings in the need for a robust energy storage infrastructure. Thus, the coming of a thermal battery is a landmark development in the field of technology and environmental protection.

This thermal battery also aims at thriving in the global market by helping curtail global warming and carbon emissions and looks forward to helping achieve the Government of India's vision of electrified mobility by 2030.