Perth is to host a $135 million dollar Future Battery Industries Cooperative Research Centre which will help create local jobs and technology in Western Australia, beyond extracting minerals and exporting them internationally to be processed.
On the 10th of April the Federal government announced it’s decision to provide $25 million worth of funding to the centre, which will be led by Curtin University and supported by nearly 60 mining, government and research industries.
The Western Australian State Government will provide $6 million towards the centre, with the aim to make WA a “one stop shop” for battery materials. Additional funding to the centre will be provided by the mining sector.
For Western Australian Energy Storage manufacturer Magellan Power, the development of the centre is an opportunity for local battery based businesses to grow their capabilities, and make the most of the lithium/ battery mineral mining industry in Western Australia.
Magellan Power Managing Director Masoud Abshar says he is looking forward to the future of the WA battery industry.
“Having the centre in Western Australia will give local manufacturers like us the opportunity to be part of technology development associated with batteries, so as a state we are not just digging the dirt out of the ground and sending it elsewhere to be used, we are growing supportive industries around that too.”
“WA businesses can contribute greatly to the rise and adoption of Energy Storage technology, and since lithium is the most common battery option, it makes sense to foster the local businesses which can value add to this,” said Mr. Abshar.
Magellan, as a designer, manufacturer and installer of battery modules will work with the Future Battery Industries CRC (FBICRC) to grow battery manufacture, testing and installation in WA, Australia and other countries for various stationary applications in grids, micro-grids for utilities, mining and cities, and their integration with renewable energy sources.
Magellan will benefit from research and development technical outcomes and being involved in policy and regulatory framework development for battery integration into stationary applications with utilities, for example.
In a statement about the funding injection, WA Premier Mark McGowan said "the growth of the battery industry's activities and the adoption of battery technologies in Western Australia will spur domestic investment in research and development. This will make the State more competitive and innovative in meeting the needs of the electric vehicle and energy storage markets."
Specifically, Magellan Power manufactures Lithium Battery modules (among other equipment) which are used in Energy Storage systems to provide a lightweight, versatile, building block of power.
Technology like the Magellan Lithium Battery module is an example of how a local Western Australian supplier can add to the battery value chain, and possibly export the technology.
Below: Magellan Power Battery Module.
