HEG Limited to invest INR 1000 crore into a new manufacturing facility for graphite anode • EVreporter

HEG Ltd, an LNJ Bhilwara group company, has announced plans to invest INR 1000 Cr over the next 3 years to set up a manufacturing facility of graphite anode for lithium-ion batteries. The upcoming plant will cater to 10-12 GWh of cell manufacturing capacity, and the investment will be executed through its newly incorporated, wholly-owned subsidiary – The Advanced Carbons Company (TACC). The company is in discussion with a few states and will finalise the location in a few weeks.

The company intends to build TACC as a cutting-edge facility on more than 100 acres of land, where it would set up an anode plant with a production capacity of 20,000 metric tonnes per year. The investment will be made in two phases – Phase 1 is expected to be operational by 2025 with an investment of INR 1000 Cr. In Phase 2, TACC plans to double the capacity with another INR 1000 Cr. The company aims to finish both phases in the next 5-7 years and is likely to create 400 new jobs with this project. The building will also have an innovation centre for creating new carbon derivative materials, such as graphene and carbon nanotubes, for use in green energy applications.

Set up in 1977, in technical and financial collaboration with Societe Des Electrodes Et Refractaires Savoie (SERS), a subsidiary of Pechiney of France, HEG claims to be the largest integrated graphite plant in the world. Spread over an area of about 170 acres, HEG (graphite division) has facilities for the production of Graphite Electrodes and Graphite Specialities. Its plant is located at Mandideep near Bhopal (MP).

“As the world’s leading graphite electrode manufacturer, HEG Limited has the largest single-location Graphite Electrode plant with a manufacturing capacity of 80,000 Mt going up to 100,000 Mt, at Mandideep in Madhya Pradesh. The company exports over 70% of its production to more than 30 countries around the world“, added a company statement.

The Indian government’s PLI scheme mandates 60% domestic value addition for cell production. Anode material produced in the country will be essential in meeting this requirement. One of the most crucial elements in the production of cells, accounting for roughly 10-15% of the cost, is the graphite anode. For every GWh of Li-ion cell production, 1,100 tonnes of graphite anode is needed. Synthetic graphite anode offers improved performance and uniformity and has gradually eclipsed natural graphite as an anode material for Li-ion batteries.

Mr. Riju Jhunjhunwala, Vice Chairman of HEG Ltd, said, “With Project TACC, our goal is to accelerate India’s push towards green energy, with a primary focus on improved carbon materials that support green energy in addition to graphite anodes. Only China and Japan are the major producers of anode materials at the moment. More than 90% of the market is controlled by businesses in these two nations. The LNJ Bhilwara Group will be making a modest contribution to India’s ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’ project with its investment in anode.”

Mr. Ankur Khaitan, MD and CEO, TACC, added, “India has enormous potential for large-scale battery production; it is anticipated that by 2030, the country’s annual market for stationary and mobile batteries will have surpassed $15 billion, with a demand increase of 260 GWh (as per Niti Aayog Report). One such measure that supports this market is the government’s recently announced production-linked incentive scheme. Additionally, it would work as a motivator to increase India’s capacity for battery production. With this expansion, the business is well-positioned to meet the growing demand for the raw ingredients needed to make batteries.”

About LNJ Bhilwara Group:

LNJ Bhilwara is a diversified group from India with revenues of USD 1 billion. The Group comprises 17 companies, of which 5 are listed on the Indian stock exchange. LNJ Bhilwara group’s production units & corporate offices are spread across the country at 47 locations employing over 25,000 strong workforce.

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