Southern Gold Ltd (ASX:SAU)’s 100%-owned, battery technology company is now firmly positioned to leverage government support to accelerate the commercialisation of its proprietary battery recycling technology and develop new battery recycling technologies.
The battery technology company, IonDrive Technologies, is a key industry partner to the University of Adelaide, which has just been awarded $5 million funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC) to establish an Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Battery Recycling in Adelaide.
The University of Adelaide has developed an environmentally friendly, highly selective, re-useable deep eutectic solvent (DES) that can be used to extract lithium, manganese, nickel and cobalt from spent cathode material to produce precursor or cathode material for commercial purposes.
Next-generation technologies
IonDrive, which was acquired by Southern Gold in July, holds three licences over next-generation battery material technologies developed by the University of Adelaide, including the deep eutectic solvent for battery recycling.
A portion of the $5 million of government funding will be dedicated to advancing IDT’s direct solvent extraction battery recycling technology to expedite commercialisation.
The company expects the funding to, in part, help advance further research to improve the efficiency of IonDrive’s direct solvent extraction recycling intellectual property, which is potentially a low-cost, environmentally friendly, highly selective method for the recovery of battery metals from spent cathode material.
IonDrive general manager JC Tan said: “This funding is a major milestone for IonDrive as the ARC grants are highly competitive and peer-reviewed, highlighting their significance.
"Our goal is to transform battery technology and recycling, moving closer to commercialisation.
"IonDrive and the professors will together lead vital research for Australian battery recycling, particularly focusing on DES and its commercialisation.
"This grant will also drive more IP and patents, potentially in collaboration with other universities."
Supporting clean energy pursuits
Development of such technologies can form a key part of the Australian Government’s intention to establish downstream advanced manufacturing opportunities in the battery industry, of which recycling of batteries will play an important part.
Southern Gold managing director Robert Smillie said: “The establishment of the ARC Training Centre for Battery Recycling signifies a vital step forward in Australia's pursuit of a cleaner, more sustainable energy future.
"Through partnerships, innovation and research excellence, IonDrive is proud to play a central role in shaping this transformative journey as we begin the push towards several strategic initiatives to deliver commercialisation.”
With the award of the ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre funding, IDT as an industry partner to UoA under the strategic partnership agreement, is now firmly positioned to assess opportunities to accelerate the commercialisation of not only its proprietary DES battery recycling technology, but also to develop new battery recycling technologies in partnership with other universities.
ARC's Battery Recycling Training Centre positions the university and IonDrive at the forefront of battery recycling research in Australia to fast-track the commercialisation of these technologies, already proving the acquisition by Southern Gold to be transformative.