On Thursday, the government announced the re-bidding of Performance Linked Incentives (PLI) for 20 GWh Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) manufacturing, India’s ₹18,100-crore programme to boost local battery cell production.
ACCs are new-generation advanced storage technologies, which can store electrical energy either as electrochemical or as chemical energy. They have major applications in electric vehicles, maintaining grid stability, solar rooftops, consumer electronics etc.
The first round of the ACC PLI bidding was concluded in March 2022, and three companies were allocated a total capacity of 30 GWh. The program agreement with selected companies was signed in July 2022
Before the start of the re-bidding process, the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) will facilitate a stakeholder consultation with industry representatives on 24th July for inputs and suggestions.
In an official statement it was stated that “With this auctioning process, the prospective applicants can submit their bids to set-up domestic manufacturing facilities for advanced chemistry cells, which will help them qualify for incentives under ACC PLI scheme.” It was further added,”The initiative is aligned with the Prime Minister’s vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat by increasing reliance on domestic manufacturing, reducing dependence on imports, and thereby creating more job opportunities for fellow Indians.”
In May 2021, the union cabinet had approved a PLI scheme for achieving ACC manufacturing capacity of 50 GigaWatt Hour (GWh) and an additional 5 GWh of “Niche” ACC, outlying an amount of ₹18,100 crore.
