Officially launched today, Tuesday, 22 July, the Australian Research Council (ARC) Training Centre for Battery Recycling marks the beginning of a new chapter for the energy industry in Australia.
"The ARC Training Centre for Battery Recycling aims to close the gap in sustainable lithium-ion battery (LIB) waste management by providing industry-led recycling solutions and training a skilled workforce to support Australia's circular economy," said the University of Adelaide's Professor Shizhang Qiao, Director, ARC Training Centre for Battery Recycling.
"Operating across multiple nodes, the Centre will address strategic challenges in battery recycling through five key research themes, with the University of Adelaide serving as the main hub for collaboration and innovation."
Themes include pre-treatment and second-life management, recycling spent batteries to materials, resynthesising materials for new batteries, design of new battery materials and cells for ready recycling and industrial standards to empower the next generations of sustainable LIB battery practice and technology.
"Outcomes are expected to shape a distinctive battery recycling model that shifts Australia to zero battery waste to landfill, establish a profitable and self-sustaining onshore industry chain and help ensure the future of Australia's energy security," said Professor Qiao.
With a budget of approximately $14.92 million (in cash and in-kind), the centre will operate over the next five years.
The launch follows the signing of the participants' agreement by all collaborating parties at the end of 2024.
The collaboration brings together nine organisations. The University of Adelaide is the administering body while the University of New South Wales and the University of Wollongong are joined by six partner organisations: Iondrive Technologies, Gravitas Technologies, PCI Green Technologies, Benan (Singapore), Pure Power and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation.
"By fostering close collaboration between government, academia and industry the Centre will develop skills and IP to enable successful commercial outcomes that will contribute to a zero-waste future," said Professor Qiao.
A multidisciplinary team of 13 experienced university researchers and six industry partner investigators with expertise in electrochemistry, metallurgy, environmental engineering, battery design, and materials synthesis will work together in the Centre.
The Centre will have four postdoctoral fellows, 19 PhD students, and a lab engineer, all working towards groundbreaking solutions in battery recycling and reuse.
