Sicona gets $45M grant to open battery materials production facility

Australian battery technology company Sicona Battery Technologies has secured USD 45 million from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to build and operate its first commercial-scale silicon-carbon battery anode material production facility in the Illawarra region.

As part of this, Sicona and BlueScope Steel Limited have entered into an exclusivity agreement to assess the potential development of the facility within BlueScope’s Port Kembla precinct, according to a media relase.

The new facility will scale production of Sicona’s advanced silicon-carbon battery anode material, SiCx, to produce up to 230 tonnes per annum for advanced customer qualification and commercial sales.

The ARENA grant will be delivered under the Australian Government’s Battery Breakthrough Initiative, which supports the growth of domestic battery manufacturing capability and strengthens Australia’s position in the global battery supply chain.

The capital injection will help Sicona meet its ambition to build sovereign battery materials manufacturing capability in Australia, while proving the country can compete in higher-value global battery supply chains, the media release said.

“ARENA’s support is a major endorsement of Sicona’s technology, our team, and Australia’s ability to build globally relevant battery materials manufacturing capability,” Christiaan Jordaan, Founder and CEO of Sicona Battery Technologies, said: “The Wollongong facility will allow us to validate our process at commercial scale, deliver SiCx to customers, and accelerate our entry to multiple markets.”

“Sicona’s technology has the potential to deliver faster charging, longer driving range and lower-cost batteries,” Darren Miller, CEO of ARENA, said. “By supporting Sicona’s Wollongong facility, ARENA is helping build the domestic manufacturing capability Australia needs to turn battery innovation into commercial supply.”