RusNano, China’s Thunder Sky to Manufacture Li-ion Batteries in Russia for EVs
28 December 2009
The supervisory board of the Russian Corporation of Nanotechnologies (RusNano) has approved the state corporation’s participation in a project with China-based Li-ion battery manufacturer Thunder Sky to manufacture Lithium-ion batteries, the first such project in Russia.
The Russia-based enterprise established under this project will produce, foremost, lithium-ion batteries for all types of electric vehicles, including motorcycles and buses. Thunder Sky plans to buy a large part of the Russian factory’s products to fulfill contracts with Chinese producers of electric transport. As demand emerges in the Russian market, products from the plant will be sold there as well.
Other targeted markets will be energy, telecommunications, and several other industrial areas.
Under the project, a plant will be built in Novosibirsk with four production lines from Thunder Sky (China), which is its coinvestor. Production will begin at the Novosibirsk plant in 2011 with capacity to turn out 300 million Ah annually; capacity will rise to 400 Ah annually in 2012.
The new enterprise for realization of the project will have participation from RUSNANO, Thunder Sky Energy Group Limited, and an external coinvestor. RUSNANO will contribute 2.24 billion rubles (US$75.4 million) to the equity of the new company and extend a loan of up to 5.5 billion rubles (US$185 million). Thunder Sky Energy Group Limited will invest the same 2.24 billion rubles in cash, technology, and intellectual property. The external coinvestor will loan 3.9 billion rubles (US$131 million) to the project company. The budget to bring the project to fruition is estimated at 13.88 billion rubles (US$464 million), with projected sales in 2015 of 17.1 billion rubles (US$575 million).
In essence, the project involves a transfer to Russia of one of the most advanced technologies in the world. Manufacturing will be fully localized in our country and Russian companies will supply raw materials. We will have new, high-tech production and lower production costs in the project. The endeavor will create 500 new jobs and contribute more than seven billion rubles in taxes to federal and regional budgets between 2010 and 2015.
—Sergei Polikarnov, RusNano Managing Director
Thunder Sky Green Power (Shenzhen) Limited was founded in 1998. Currently, the company has two production lines with annual capacity of 60 million Ah. At the end of 2009 company launched an additional fully automatic battery production line with the capacity of 100 million Ah per year.
RusNano was established in 2007 by Federal law to enable Government policy in the field of Nanotechnology. RusNano co-invests in nanotechnology industry projects that have high commercial potential or social benefit.
Thundersky is still a small producer compared to Panasonic and LG but they are worth watching.
They seem to have the lowest cost technology (1) for lithium batteries in the industry and they are making progress in terms of power density (2) and maybe also energy density (3).
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1) Low cost
The retail price of their batteries is now down to (1000/352wh)*$152.1 = 432 USD per kWh. By far the lowest low volume retail price on the market.
http://www.batteryspace.com/lifepo4prismaticmodule32v110ah3crate352whceunapproved.aspx
One reason is that Thundersky’s production technology is inexpensive is that it avoids using high cost and toxic solvents and instead used a water based technology. This is described more at international battery that licenses their technology.
http://www.internationalbattery.com/pdf/InternationalBattery_ManufacturingWhitePaper.pdf
2) Progress on power density
Their old LiFePO4 battery from 2008 can only do 0.3C continuous.
http://www.batteryspace.com/prod-specs/5264.pdf
Their new LiFePO4 battery form 2009 can do 3C continuous.
http://www.thunder-sky.com/pdf/200931791117.pdf
3) Progress on energy density
The Russian press release indicates that new batteries with considerably higher energy density are coming up. Current Thundersky LiFePO4 batteries are only about 100Wh/kg.
http://www.rosnano.ru/Post.aspx/Show/24524
Posted by: Account Deleted | 28 December 2009 at 12:33 PM
More production places the better.
Posted by: HarveyD | 28 December 2009 at 02:25 PM
So, US companies are using high cost and toxic solvents instead used a water based technology?
Because?
Posted by: ToppaTom | 29 December 2009 at 01:54 AM
"When used in public transportation, the batteries guarantee a 350-kilometers energy reserve after one charge." http://www.rosnano.ru/Post.aspx/Show/24524
So where are the US EV's. Is the argument "not made here" or the GM 1990's "they don't work/it would replace ICE"?
Posted by: kelly | 29 December 2009 at 09:34 AM
What does
"When used in public transportation, the batteries guarantee a 350-kilometers energy reserve after one charge."
mean?
Posted by: ToppaTom | 29 December 2009 at 02:24 PM
After reading the PR, I think they mean that they can get enough kWh of Thundersky batteries in a small bus to get a 350 km range per charge.
Posted by: drivin98 | 30 December 2009 at 12:55 PM
Ah, You're probably right.
Which tells us little.
Posted by: ToppaTom | 31 December 2009 at 12:40 AM