Li-S Energy becomes first Australian company to produce lithium foils

Battery technology company Li-S Energy has begun production of a vital ingredient in its batteries, ahead of schedule, in a project backed by a $1.76 million Industry Growth Program grant.

According to a statement from the company on Friday, the milestone was achieved at its Geelong factory, where it has installed a new lithium extrusion equipment and produced its first 100-micron-thick pure lithium metal foils.

This opens the way to supply such foils within Australia and abroad, more tightly control purity and thickness, to progress towards a goal of commercialising lithium-sulfur and lithium metal batteries.

“This milestone accelerates our ability to develop custom anode architectures, supports higher throughput in our pouch cell line, and enables more rapid technology iterations,” said CTO Dr Steve Rowlands in a statement to the ASX.

CEO Dr Lee Finniear said there was pride attached to being the first company in Australia to produce lithium foils, and that this reduces dependence on overseas supply chains, reduces costs, improves cell quality, and supports that nation’s manufacturing resilience. 

“It also opens the door to export opportunities as international demand for high-purity lithium foil continues to grow,” Finniear added. 

Li-S was awarded the grant in August last year, among the first round of projects supported by the IGP. 

Further steps under its project include installing equipment to roll, laminate and coat the lithium foils, allowing Li-S “to offer a broader suite of foil products for international markets” and scale up proprietary nano-material coating technologies.

Picture: credit Li-S Energy   

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