Australian battery maker Li-S Energy has secured $7.6 million in federal funding to support plans for a large-scale lithium-sulfur battery cell manufacturing facility in Victoria.
The proposed facility would be Australia’s largest pouch cell production facility when built, with capacity to produce 1 gigawatt-hour (GWh) of battery cells annually – 500 times the company’s current output.
Li-S Energy, which last year claimed a significant breakthrough in its patented lithium-sulfur battery technology, currently operates a 2MWh automated production line in Geelong.
The grant, from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency’s Advancing Renewables Program, will support a feasibility study and front-end engineering design (FEED) for the facility, as well as “manufacturing optimisation program”.
Li-S Energy chief executive and managing director Lee Finniear said the funding was a major step towards commercial readiness for the company founded as a joint venture between PPK Group, BNNT Technology and Deakin University in 2019.
“The ARP Grant enables us to accelerate the critical commercial and engineering studies needed to progress advanced lithium-sulfur batteries toward large-scale production,” he said.
“This will support growing demand for lightweight batteries in drones, defence, aerospace and other relevant high-value commercial markets. In particular, it strengthens domestic supply chains and backs Australian innovation to deliver commercial production right here in Australia.”
LIS GEN3 semi-solid-state cells have been built using a low-flammability electrolyte, which the Brisbane headquartered company believes make the cell safer than traditional lithium-sulfur and lithium-ion cells.
Other stated improvements include greater volumetric energy density and reduced dendrite growth — needle-like structure on the surface of lithium metal anodes that can build up as a battery is charged and discharged.
ARENA CEO Darren Miller said that advancing battery innovation to boost energy density and reduce costs would be critical as the clean energy transition moves forwards.
“By supporting Li-S Energy’s plans to scale up lithium-sulfur battery production, we are helping to fast-track the commercialisation of breakthrough battery technologies,” he said.
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