Battery Energy to manufacture Gelion batteries in western Sydney

University of Sydney spinout business Gelion will have its zinc bromide batteries made at Battery Energy’s Fairfield, western Sydney factory.

“We are excited to work with Battery Energy. Its 30 years’ experience delivering customer-focused power solutions in tough environments will be invaluable [in] helping us deploy our technology in our own backyard,” said Gelion CEO Andrew Grimes.

Gelion was founded in 2015 and its batteries use a “reimagined zinc-bromide chemistry” in their batteries, which replace a flowing electrolyte with a stable gel.

According to Battery Energy’s website, it is the country’s only industrial gel battery manufacturer.

Production trials are planned for Gelion’s Endure batteries next year “ahead of anticipated commercial availability” said the University of Sydney, which is an investor in Gelion and the employer of battery inventor Thomas Maschmeyer. 

Maschmeyer is a chemistry professor and Prime Minister’s Prize for Innovation winner last year, for “dual work in developing commercially viable processes to recycle mixed plastics and developing a new low-cost battery technology to store renewable energy.” Maschmeyer is also co-founder of recycler Licella.

Maschmeyer said his company’s batteries “safe, robust and recyclable,” had no need for secondary cooling and maintenance in stationary storage, and would not catch fire.

We recently tested the battery by heating it on a barbeque plate at about 700 degrees for half an hour,” Maschmeyer said. 

“Not only did the battery not catch fire, it continued to operate, keeping a light on through the whole test.”

Picture: Gelion

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