BHEL signs MoU with ARAI for e-mobility projects – pv magazine India

May 1, 2019Uma Gupta

Engineering and manufacturing major Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, have signed an MoU for cooperation on various projects related to e-mobility.

BHEL’s unique strength as technology developer and implementer and ARAI’s advanced facilities and expertise in design, testing and certification of mobility products, will generate synergies in implementing solutions for electric and trolley buses, electric vehicle (EV) chargers, battery and charger testing, etc.

Notably, BHEL, India’s largest power equipment manufacturer, recently forayed in the e-mobility business as part of its diversification initiative. Under the renewed focus, it has undertaken manufacturing of EV chargers, electric buses and related critical components.

BHEL is setting up a series of solar-based electric vehicle charger stations on the Delhi-Chandigarh Highway. The project is covered under the FAME scheme [Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid) & Electric Vehicles in India]of the Department of Heavy Industry, Government of India.

The establishment of EV chargers at regular intervals over the entire 250 km stretch between Delhi and Chandigarh would allay range-anxiety among the EV users and bolster their confidence for inter-city travel. Each solar electric vehicle charging station will be equipped with a rooftop solar power plant to supply green energy and EV chargers.

BHEL’s scope of work in the project includes design, engineering, manufacturing, supply and installation of the EV charging stations along with a central monitoring system with a user-friendly mobile app.

BHEL is also in talks with Australian business Libcoin to form a joint venture for setting up a 1 GWh production capacity lithium-ion battery plant in India that would eventually be scaled up to 30 GWh.

The joint venture will focus on manufacturing core components domestically, creating an integrated manufacturing ecosystem and resulting in self-reliance and cheaper electric vehicle batteries. The project will take an holistic view of the supply chain in combination with digital technologies to replace high-CAPEX and high-OPEX processes.

Magnis Energy – which has a 20% stake in Libcoin –and other Libcoin partners have been working on the creation of India’s first lithium ion battery Gigafactory for the past 12 months. The consortium agrees India is going to be a significant market for lithium-ion battery manufacturing, especially as it aligns with the government’s “Make In India, for India” program.