A Czech company has begun production of its first batch of nanotechnology-based batteries, the microscopic parts of which provide more efficient, longer-lasting, and cheaper power cells. HE3DA, based in Prague, intends to roll out its nanotech battery manufacturing to its other factories – one in Slovakia and another in the Czech Republic – soon.
“A lithium battery, even when you make it cheap, is still a very expensive hobby,” Jan Prochazka, President of HE3DA, said (via Radio Praha). “When we talk about comparisons with the traditional technologies, we need about 20 times less investment cost. So, the expenses are much lower, but they are still in the hundreds of millions of euros.”
HE3DA is planning to build a second dedicated factory to manufacture nanotech batteries in the Czech city of Ostrava, which will significantly increase its yield.
“Ostrava will have [production capacity of] about 250 MWh a year,” Prochazka explains. “In comparison to Tesla’s factory in Nevada, it is one half of that capacity. So it is not small, it is reasonable. What we want to do, next to our own production of batteries we want to sell the production equipment together with the licenses. That will be globally available to people.”
The endeavour is being mostly funded from within the Czech Republic, with HE3DA keen to resist pressure to cede the company to foreign investors. “Even to the Chinese, we have not sold a majority. The company is Czech and hopefully will remain Czech,” Prochazka said.
HE3DA is looking to expands production across Europe, while other plans to implement nanotechnology in different fields are afoot.
