PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The Future Battery Industries Cooperative Research Center (FBICRC) on Monday launched its flagship cathode precursor production pilot plant, in Western Australia.

Located at Curtin University, the Australian-first pilot plant will help design and build cathode precursor manufacturing facilities on a commercial and industrial scale. 

“The launch of the cathode precursor production pilot plant is the culmination of several years of hard work, collaboration and integration by industry-leading partners and academic institutions, to progress the current and future needs of industry. We’re delighted to see this world-class facility up and running,” said FBICRC CEO Shannon O’Rourke.

“The incoming government has committed to a National Battery Strategy which will help to seize local battery manufacturing opportunities. The cathode precursor production pilot plant will be a key enabler to build an Australian manufacturing capability.”

A report by the FBICRC has identified that establishing an active materials manufacturing capability as an immediate priority for Australia to move up the global value chain, which could deliver $1-billion to the economy and support 4 800 jobs by 2030.

The global battery market is expected to grow nine to ten times by 2030 and 40-fold by 2050. In a net-zero world, between now and 2050 over A$23-trillion will be spent on batteries.

O’Rourke said that Australia is well-positioned to capture more of this value given it is the only country with leading resources of all raw materials required to make high-performance batteries, including nickel, cobalt, manganese, graphite and lithium. 

The cathode precursor production pilot plant will link with other FBICRC flagship projects across Australia, including the national battery testing centre at the Queensland University of Technology, battery materials research at the University of Technology Sydney, electrolyte research at Deakin University and battery anode research at the University of Melbourne.

Over 18 months, the plant will run a series of test campaigns through four fully integrated and automated P-CAM production units, provided by BASF. The four units will enable the cathode precursor production pilot plant to run different compositions and ratios of chemistries simultaneously, or to run the same chemistries under four different conditions, changing variables such as temperature, pH or stirring rate.

Produced P-CAM is then lithiated, calcined and electrochemically tested at the FBICRC-funded Electrochemical Testing Facility at the Queensland University of Technology.

BHP Nickel West has also provided equipment for the precursor facility, repurposed from their nickel sulphate pilot plant.

“The launch of the cathode precursor pilot plant is a vital step towards developing a future growth industry here in Western Australia. The launch of this plant, made possible through the repurposing of equipment from our nickel sulphate pilot plant, will allow the FBICRC and the state government to explore further options for a downstream battery materials manufacturing industry. This is another exciting step for BHP as a major supplier of nickel, a commodity highly sought after by car and battery manufacturers across the globe," BHP Nickel West asset president, Jessica Farrell said.

“Australia has the potential to develop into a competitive player in the international batteries industry. The pilot plant launch is a significant step in developing the onshore capabilities and industry knowledge to create thousands of jobs and add billions of dollars to our economy,” O’Rourke added.

Western Australian Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Johnston on Monday said that the launch of the pilot plant was an exciting step forward for Western Australia’s burgeoning battery materials manufacturing industry. 

“The government is committed to growing and diversifying Western Australia’s mining industry. 

“Western Australia isn’t just famous for having all the minerals you need to make a battery, we also have the capabilities to progress down the value chain and grow our battery manufacturing and downstream processing industries.” 

Through the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia and Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation, the state government has contributed A$6-million towards establishing the FBICRC, and has also committed A$13.2-million to facilitate global investment in precursor cathode manufacturing in Western Australia.