Reliance New Energy Solar Intends to Invest $144 Mn in Ambri Inc


Reliance New Energy Solar Intends to Invest $144 Mn in Ambri Inc

Reliance New Energy Solar Ltd (RNESL), a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), intends to invest $144 million in Ambri Inc, an energy storage company based in Massachusetts, USA. This investment also has the participation of strategic investors Paulson and Co. Inc. and Bill Gates, and a few other investors. According to the official statement of RIL, the investment is likely help the company commercialise and nurture its long-duration energy storage systems business across the globe.

The company states that RNESL would invest $50 million to procure 42.3 million shares of preferred stock in Ambri. It states, "Based on patented technology and designed to last between 4-24 hours, Ambri's long-duration energy storage systems will break through the cost, longevity and safety barriers associated with lithium-ion batteries used in grid-scale stationary storage applications. They will enable a crucial energy storage solution capable of supporting the increasing amounts of renewable energy being integrated into electric power grids."

The release states that RNESL and Ambri are also in talks for an exclusive collaboration to set up a large scale battery manufacturing facility in India, which could add scale and further cut down costs for Reliance's green energy initiative. Addressing shareholders in June this year, Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani had announced his idea to build a Giga Factory in Jamnagar for the storage of intermittent energy, as part of the Dhirubhai Ambani Green Energy Giga Complex project.

He further adds, "We are exploring new and advanced electro-chemical technologies that can be used for such large-scale grid batteries to store the energy that we will create. We will collaborate with global leaders in battery technology to achieve the highest reliability for round-the-clock power availability through a combination of generation, storage, and grid connectivity.” According to RIL, Ambri can cater to projects that need energy storage systems from 10 MWh to over 2 GWh.

The release further reveals, "The company will manufacture calcium and antimony electrode-based cells and containerised systems that are more economical than lithium-ion batteries, capable of operating safely in any climatic condition without requiring supplemental air conditioning and meant to last for over 20 years with minimal degradation. Ambri systems are particularly suited for high-usage applications, such as shifting energy from daytime solar generation to evening and morning peak load times. The company is securing customers for large-scale projects with commercial operation in 2023 and beyond."