Strong start for EnerSys in sustainability checks

Lead and lithium battery producer EnerSys said on May 16 the company was making substantial progress in its drive to reduce operational carbon emissions.

The company pledged in an inaugural sustainability report published in April 2022 to reduce the firm’s environmental footprint.

Now EnerSys has released its 2022 sustainability update, with highlights including a “decoupling of production from energy consumption” — which the company says means it is consuming fewer resources while producing more energy systems and batteries.

In its latest report, EnerSys says it has reduced global greenhouse gas emissions by more than 4% over 2021 levels.

Scope 1 emissions (direct GHG emissions such as those made while running boilers and vehicles) are down nearly 8% over 2021.

Scope 2 emissions (indirect emissions such as from electricity bought) de-

Yuasa, Honda step up joint venture battery plans

GS Yuasa International and Honda Motor signed a 5050 joint venture agreement on May 11 to form a lithium ion battery R&D company.

The move came just weeks after Japan’s government backed plans by the partners to invest ¥444 billion ($3.3 billion) in a lithium battery manufacturing plant for EVs and residential energy storage systems.

Honda GS Yuasa EV Battery R&D — the new joint venture company — will also develop highly-competitive battery production methods, the firms said.

The new firm, to be based in Kyoto, is scheduled to start operating before the end of this year, subject to receiving regulatory approvals.

Honda’s Koichi Yamamoto has been named as president of the new business. Masaaki Hosokawa from GS Yuasa International becomes vice president.

Yuasa and Honda said in January that they wanted to collaborate on developing a high-capacity, high-output lithium-ion battery.

Sustainability certification boost for Birla Carbon’s Italy facility

Carbon additives company

Birla Carbon has received sustainability certification ISCC PLUS for its manufacturing plant in Italy, the company said on May 15.

The International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) is a voluntary scheme that helps identify companies providing sustainable and circular raw materials.

The scheme covers a range of products including recycled carbon materials.

Birla Carbon Italy is now certified to produce cir- cular materials such as its Continua 8000 sustainable carbonaceous material, the company said.

John Loudermilk, CEO of Birla Carbon, said: “It is our intention to adopt this important certification at all our manufacturing locations in the near future.” creased by nearly 4% over 2021.

Birla Carbon announced in July 2022 that it had raised a $50 million green loan to refinance part of the capital expenditure incurred for tackling emissions at its North Bend plant in the US.

EnerSys said its use of water in the manufacturing process use decreased by 1.4% compared to usage in 2021.

In 2022, the company said it saved a year’s worth of drinking water required for a city of over 12,000 people.

Meanwhile, female representation in leadership

Amara Raja Batteries has posted a pre-tax profit of Rs948 crore ($115 million) for the year ended March 2023 up from Rs690 crore the previous year.

The lead batteries powerhouse said on May 24 net revenue for the year was Rs10,400 crore (previously Rs8,700 crore).

The results reflected increase market share for both OEM and aftermarket segments in automotive batteries, the company said.

There was also strong growth in providing products for the telecoms and datacenters segment.

Chairman and MD Jay- increased from 9% to 13% between 2021 and 2022, the company said.

Senior director of global sustainability Samuel Shiroff said: “While improving efficiency has always been central to what we do, a little over 30 months into our formal ESG efforts we are starting to see the results of our strategy.” adev Galla said the results were a testament to customers’ trust in its products.

“As we embark on the next phase of our energy and mobility strategy, our continued commitment to R&D that delivers superior products in lead-acid as well as lithium will be crucial.”

Meanwhile, new energy business executive director Vikramadithya Gourineni said the group was making rapid progress on its giga corridor project toward its goal of domestic production of lithium ion battery cells.

Clarios completes refinancings to extend debt maturity profile

Clarios said on May 4 it had closed a bond offering of $750 million. In addition to the senior secured notes due in 2028, the world’s largest manufacturer of automotive batteries also announced the closing of a new tranche of term loans in an aggregate principal amount of $2.75 billion.

The new loan, at the secured overnight financing rate plus 3.75%, will mature in May 2030.

Clarios, which is owned by Brookfield Business Partners together with institutional partners of Brookfield Asset Management, said the gross proceeds from the offering of the notes, and the borrowings under the new term loan, were to repay around $3.5 billion of borrowings under the company’s existing term loan maturing in April 2026.

Clarios CEO Mark Wallace welcomed what he said was “strong continued support received from the market, which enabled us to almost triple the size of our debt offering.

“Upon closing, we will have successfully refinanced $3,500 million of our borrowings while extending the maturity of our capital structure through 2030 with virtually no increase to our overall borrowing costs.”