Western Australia government is offering AUS$13.2 million ($9.4 million) to attract lithium-ion battery cathode active materials production manufacturers to the state.
The money will include incentives to offset project costs, such as land lease rates as the state looks to strengthen its position in future battery minerals, materials, technology and expertise in global battery supply chains.
The cash is part of a wider AUS $92.4 million ($66 million) suite of initiatives to activate new industries and create local jobs.
The funding comes as Australia reinforces its grip on the battery materials supply chain, including a number of lithium projects in Europe and plans unfold to build two gigafactories in the country.
Perth-based Lithium Australia, together with ANSTO (Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation), is continuing R&D on its revolutionary lithium-recovery technologies for the production of critical battery chemicals.
The Company’s proprietary SiLeach® and LieNA® processes recovers lithium chemicals, such as as lithium phosphate, from a wide range of lithium-bearing materials. The materials are then refined to the standards required for the production of lithium ferro phosphate (‘LFP’) lithium-ion batteries.
The company’s wholly owned subsidiary, VSPC Limited announced on 3 August it had manufactured LFP cathode material at its laboratory at pilot scale.
The advanced LFP cathode material produced demonstrated specific capacity of 158mAh/g’ at a 0.1C discharge rate in coin cells and the physical properties for electrode coating were ‘excellent’.
Lithium Australia MD Adrian Griffin, said: “Using easily available and lower-cost base reagents in the manufacture of LFP can have a profound impact on the price of production.
“It is imperative that VSPC maximises its competitive advantages in terms of both reagent inputs and physical manufacturing costs.
“The AMGC grant has been the catalyst in evaluating lower-cost options that may not otherwise have been considered. In many cases, such options are location-specific, so the results of this study may well lead to Australia being seen as a more competitive place for the production of LFP batteries.”
