An innovative Brisbane tech company has been awarded $1.7 million to fast-track development of a light-weight lithium battery.
Li-S Energy will use the Federal Industry Growth Program (IGP) funding to advance its high-tolerance lithium foil battery manufacturing process to produce next generation, ultra-light batteries.
Li-S Energy CEO Dr Lee Finniear said the grant would allow the company to build Australia’s first lithium metal foil manufacturing line.
“Essential for advanced batteries, including our own, and adding value to Australia’s own vast lithium reserves, the global lithium foil market is primed for massive growth in the coming years,” Dr Finniear said.
“With Australia mining 52 percent of the world’s lithium ore, this new sovereign manufacturing capability for lithium foil gives Australia an opportunity to position itself as a leading player in this growth market.”
Federal Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic said Li-S Energy, a collaboration between Deakin University Institute of Frontier Materials and Brisbane company BNNT Technology Limited, was using revolutionary technology to make low-weight, highly durable batteries suitable for the unstaffed aviation and defence industries.
Minister Husic announced the funding at the opening of the company’s battery manufacturing facilities at Deakin University’s Waurn Ponds campus.
He said IGP grants were designed to help small and medium businesses overcome barriers associated with scaling up, allowing them to grow manufacturing capabilities and create stronger supply chains.
Other successful grant recipients in this round included:
- Cauldron Molecules $4.3 million to support world-first, fully automated hyper-fermentation technology to make food, animal feed, fibre and fuel.
- Electrogenics Laboratories $1 million for its MOSkin patient radiation dose measurement system to reduce exposure risk during radiotherapy treatments.
- Brandsec $231,000 for its Unphish software tool which can remove malicious phishing content from the internet, including from compromised websites and fake social media accounts.
- Forager Automation $157,943 for the development of its robotic blueberry picking device that will tackle labour costs and increase yield efficiency for farmers.
