Amara Raja is set to have its inaugural giga factory operational by the end of 2025. President Vijayanand Samudrala commented, “We will have three-four individual factory buildings, dealing with two chemistries, both NMC as well as LFP and two formats, cylindrical as well as prismatic”. The brand is aiming for 16 GWh of lithium-ion battery cells capacity and up to five GWh of battery capacity. These will cater to a range of mobility as well as energy storage applications. The first phase is expected to be completed in less than twenty-four months, which means the first giga factory will be operational before the end of 2025.
As reported by Emerging Technology News, summing up about his tours of giga factories in various countries such as Europe, China, and Korea, Samudrala emphasised on the key factors essential for the success of giga factories. He highlighted the significance of fostering an ecosystem rather than relying solely on a large independent factory. The company is setting up an E Positive Energy Lab and an R&D facility. A significant part of the facility would be dedicated for collaborating with customer, supplier partners, start-ups and innovation entities.
Samudrala added, “Giga factories require an integrated approach that marries high technology, large capex, giga scale factories with an eco-system, so it is not just about a large standalone factory, but also trunk infrastructure in terms of road connectivity, water availability, power facilities, training facilities and upstream and downstream value chain players”.
