The Victorian state government announced in June 2021 a grant of $5.2 million to support the creation of a new BatTRI-Hub facility in Melbourne.
The Hon. Gayle Tierney MP, Minister for Training, Skills and Higher Education, and the Hon. Lily D’Ambrosio MP, Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change and the Minister for Solar Homes, joined Deakin University Vice-Chancellor Professor Iain Martin for the announcement at Deakin’s Melbourne Burwood campus on 29 June.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research Professor Julie Owens said the project will support Victoria’s green economy through energy storage innovation, paving the way for Australia’s clean energy future.
“Materials scientists at Deakin continue to lead the world in high performance battery innovation, advancing their knowledge in making safer, more efficient and longer storage capacity batteries.”
Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research Professor Julie Owens, Deakin University
The Battery Technology Research and Innovation Hub 2.0 (BatTRI-HUB 2.0) will be a dedicated, world-class battery technology research and translation facility that specialises in advanced battery design, fabrication and testing.
The new facility will include a pilot production line to manufacture advanced batteries and battery components, an expansion of existing pouch cell prototyping, a cell and pack testing lab, and advanced cell diagnostics and materials characterisation. It will seek to advance existing technologies such as lithium but also focus on sustainable alternatives such as sodium batteries.
The facility will build Victoria’s role in the global supply chain for advanced batteries while meeting the bespoke battery needs of customers with demanding applications. It will facilitate collaborative projects with our current partners into the future and catalyse new partnerships with industry.
The facility will also provide post-secondary education and training opportunities in battery production and process engineering and will be included in Deakin’s school outreach program.
Construction is scheduled to begin at a site near Deakin’s Burwood campus in January 2022 and completion in May 2022, with research and innovation projects to be underway earlier, hosted on campus.
The funding is part of the Victorian Government’s $350 million Higher Education State Investment Fund (VHESIF).