Battery tech firm builds own lithium-ion supply chain
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A pioneer in big battery systems has selected three Australian companies as it builds its own lithium-ion battery supply chain, as well as CSIRO-backed sovereign technology.
“You can do this in Australia – it’s all possible and cost-competitive,” Energy Renaissance founder Brian Craighead told AAP.
The company offers a potential breakthrough for sovereign supply, which is why CSIRO has been working with the firm based in Tomago, NSW, on its technology for charging and managing batteries.
“A lot of people thought we were mad, but then COVID came along and the idea of just-in-time manufacturing suddenly turned out to be a train wreck for governments and businesses around the world,” he said.
While the federal government and opposition tout the benefits of world-leading critical minerals and local manufacturing, the company is set to be the first in Australia to walk the talk and make commercial-scale lithium-ion batteries.
Academy Sheetmetal, a family-owned manufacturer in nearby Newcastle, will supply steel cabinetry, and B&C Plastics in Brisbane will supply moulded components.
Penrith-based GPC Electronics will supply printed circuit board assemblies that are used in the battery management systems.
Previously operating out of a temporary facility, Energy Renaissance has built Australia’s first big battery gigafactory, with manufacturing set to begin at the 4500sqm plant within months.
“The idea that we can source much of the material here means that we are a much safer bet for supply,” Mr Craighead.
“The pressure on us is greatly lifted.”
Plugging unknown technologies into company networks and the electricity grid is also a growing concern, amid escalating cyber security threats to critical infrastructure from Russia and China.
Mr Craighead said Energy Renaissance software has been written with CSIRO experts to be secure.
“Knowing what your software does, and knowing it does it super-securely, will become something everyone will demand.”
with news from AAP
