Cancrie | Advanced battery materials from coconut shells

Our team spoke with Dr. Akshay Jain, Mahi Singh and Amitej from Team Cancrie. Cancrie is a Jaipur-based startup focused on developing advanced materials for energy storage solutions. The start-up recently raised $1.2 million in a seed funding round led by Root Ventures. Cancrie was incorporated in August 2020 with a vision to commercialize the upcycling of waste into nanocarbons. Its patented technology produces nanocarbon materials from coconut shells.

“Cancrie is a planet trillions of miles away, composed of the highest quality carbon materials, like diamonds and graphite, which are ideal for batteries. We say you don’t need to travel trillions of miles to get premium-quality carbon — we are creating it here on Earth in Jaipur, Rajasthan.”

What is the science behind Cancrie carbons?

From the material perspective, what makes our product so efficient for batteries is our patented process. We start with waste and put it through nearly six stages to get the final product.

In some stages, we enhance the waste to produce a high-quality precursor or char, which is essential for creating premium nanocarbons. The process involves fine-tuning seven critical parameters: surface area, pore size, pore volume, conductivity, functionalities, particle size, and purity levels. These parameters are crucial for battery performance, and our patented process allows us to optimize them to achieve superior results.

Properties such as surface area and pore volume are critical for battery performance. The main goal with the batteries is to provide current and capacity, which involves electrochemical reactions on the electrode surface. Imagine a battery with no surface or contact area for reactions — it would naturally deliver less current. Our material addresses this by increasing the electrode’s surface area and allowing more electrolytes to penetrate and access the active material inside. This significantly enhances the battery’s specific energy and energy output. In simple terms, that’s how we optimize battery performance.

What are the possible use cases for Cancrie’s technology?

When we first started, we focused on simple applications—using these carbons for water treatment, air purification, and even pharmaceuticals. We also used them as catalysts for enzymes. These applications showed fantastic results. As we developed premium, high-quality carbons, we found that even a tiny amount could significantly boost performance, leading us to identify our niche in batteries.

In terms of battery chemistries, these carbons have potential applications in lead-acid, lithium-ion, sodium-ion, redox flow batteries, fuel cells, and electrolyzers. We’ve already tested four of these — lead-acid, lithium-ion, sodium-ion, and flow batteries — and successfully developed a proof of concept (PoC), with commercialization now underway.

Are there any downsides to using Cancrie carbons or specific challenges related to availability, sourcing, logistics etc?

The primary challenge is the availability of Cancrie carbon itself since demand currently exceeds our production capacity.

As for waste sourcing, we’ve secured multiple sources over the past three years to ensure a consistent supply in terms of both quality and quantity. In terms of raw materials and machinery, everything is readily available in India, and we don’t rely on a complex supply chain. So, the main issue is scaling up production quickly to meet the growing demand.

We’ve tested the product for over three years, observing battery life cycles under actual conditions—not accelerated ones—and the results have been excellent, with no detrimental effects. In fact, there are numerous advantages, such as improved charging efficiency and enhanced electrode strength.

One minor challenge arises from the slight difference in physical properties compared to other available carbons. This requires a small adjustment in the manufacturing process when incorporating the material. However, it doesn’t involve major changes to the processing line and can be easily managed, making adoption relatively straightforward.

Can you comment on efficiency and cost reduction that can be achieved through Cancrie?

• Increased Ah Effificeny – One of the most critical metrics in batteries is ampere-hour efficiency, also known as coulombic efficiency. Typically, lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries in the market have a coulombic efficiency of around 90% to 95%. With our carbon technology, we consistently see an increase of about 5%. For instance, if a battery provides 92% efficiency, ours can achieve 97% to 98% efficiency, and in some cases, we’ve even reached 100% efficiency. For the end user, this means the energy put into the battery is exactly what you can withdraw—there is no need for extra energy input, which translates to lower energy bills.

• Load Management – Normally, if the e-rickshaw carries more passengers than the motor’s capacity, it draws more current from the battery, reducing the battery’s energy output. However, with our carbon technology, the battery retains its capacity and delivers the same mileage even under higher loads.

• Battery’s Cycle Life – Recently, we achieved 1,200 cycles compared to around 960 cycles for a control battery. This represents a 30% increase in the battery’s life cycle. For battery manufacturers, this means fewer warranty returns or the ability to upsell by offering extended warranty periods.

Since Cancrie’s product is made from waste materials, does it also help reduce the cost of battery production at scale?

Due to its premium quality and advanced process, our material is slightly more expensive than other carbons available on the market. However, comparing the amount of material added and how much it impacts the overall battery cost is a more significant parameter.

For instance, if a battery costs ₹10,000, the additional cost of using our material is only around ₹10 to ₹20, which translates to just a 0.1% to 0.2% increase. The battery manufacturers we’ve spoken to find it a minimal expense. The real value lies in the benefits we offer— higher efficiency and a longer life cycle, which significantly reduce warranty returns. Additionally, our material improves charge acceptance by 60% and increases electrode strength by four times.

From the perspective of battery manufacturers, extending the warranty period from 6 to 9 months allows them to upsell their batteries by ₹500 to ₹600. It’s a win-win scenario as they enhance their products’ quality and profitability.

What’s the current scale of your operations?

Currently, we are producing at a pilot scale of 50 kg per month. With the recent funding, we plan to scale up to at least 500 kg to 1 ton per month by investing in larger machines. This capacity will roughly translate to catering to around 100,000 e-rickshaw batteries per month, a target we aim to achieve within the next 4 to 5 months since we already have orders in hand. Looking further ahead, we plan to increase our production to 5 tons per month by 2027 within the same facility.

The market potential is significant— each major player like Livguard, Luminous, or Exide, consumes around 10 tons of material per month for Indian production alone. Beyond the large companies, there are numerous MSMEs and Tier 2 manufacturers as well.

By 2028, we are targeting a capacity of 20 tons per month. We’ve already initiated discussions with the Rajasthan government and signed an MoU to acquire a larger facility for this expansion. Given the current demand in India, which stands at 3 to 4 tons per day, and the fact that the Indian market only represents 5% of the global battery market, the demand potential is immense.

We’re collaborating with several customers, including one based in Manesar, Gurgaon, and another in Pune. Additionally, product development trials were conducted with a manufacturer in Mumbai.

How does your current capacity translate in terms of the number of batteries produced?

The amount of carbon material required depends on the battery capacity. A 100 Ah battery uses a certain quantity, while a 200 Ah battery requires double that amount.

Let’s take an inverter battery with a capacity of approximately 150 Ah as an example. We typically use around 20 grams of our carbon material per battery. So far, we have deployed 35,000 batteries in the market, primarily in this segment. This translates to roughly 35 megawatts of battery capacity already in use. At a production capacity of 500 kg per month, we will be able to cater to approximately 25,000 to 30,000 inverter batteries each month.

The environmental aspect of Cancrie’s innovation – Conventionally, people have been using carbons derived from fossil fuels as feedstock. However, our invention utilizes lignocellulosic waste and biomass as precursors, making it fundamentally different. This introduces unique properties and significantly reduces the greenhouse gas footprint.

We have conducted calculations and performed a life cycle analysis comparing our carbons with conventionally available ones. Our findings show that our product has a 13-times lower carbon footprint when considering the precursor alone. Additionally, by improving battery life and reducing the need for critical metals, we are effectively saving around 0.25 to 0.5 kg per battery. Looking ahead to 2030, we aim to achieve one gigaton of CO2-equivalent mitigation.

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