Two funding wins for Australian battery production






Two groups progressing to manufacture modern batteries and systems in Australia have received government funding boosts.

Queensland battery system manufacturer RedEarth has received a $5 million investment from the $80 million Queensland Government Business Development fund.

The investment, which matches 4.75 million raised from investors, will boost production of the company’s residential and commercial scale battery systems.

Also this week Calix has been revealed as one of 30 projects funded by the government’s CRC Projects (CRC-P) programme announced last week.

The company is develping new electrode materials aiming to produce high-performance lithium-ion batteries.

A number of 10 kWh battery prototypes destined for future manufacture will be produced.

Calix is working on the project with Boron Molecular, Deakin University’s Institute for Frontier Materials (IFM) and R&D centre, BatTRI-Hub.

In other energy storage developments the Australian Renewable Energy Agency has stepped in to speed up construction of the Cultana pumped hydro scheme in South Australia.

Sometimes referred to as energy batteries, pumped hydro uses excess power to pump water uphill, utilising the water during peak demand periods to generate electricity.

ARENA will provide $40 million for the project, one of four pumped hydro projects being developed in SA.

ARENA CEO Darren Miller said: “With 50 per cent of total energy generation in South Australia coming from variable renewable energy in 2018…there is an increasing requirement for energy storage to firm and balance the system in that state.

“As part of this, pumped hydro has an important role to play in Australia’s energy transition.”

Picture: RedEarth

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