Arena backs homegrown battery tech that promises to cut storage costs, boost EV range

Australian silicon anode technology that promises to reduce battery storage costs and enable longer driving ranges for electric vehicles has been awarded nearly $4 million in federal government funding.

Brisbane-based AnteoTech says the funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (Arena) will go towards the company’s $11.1 million, three-year plan to commercialise its proprietary silicon anode technology, starting with a larger scale of prototyping and testing.

For lithium-ion batteries, the use of silicon anodes has been found to offer higher energy density than the much more commonly used graphite anodes, but challenges with cell degradation have presented barriers to commercialisation.

AnteoTech’s proprietary Anteo X binder technology can reduce degradation rates associated with silicon anodes by maintaining the structural stability within the anode during cycling.

The money from Arena will help AnteoTech to install new electrode coating and pouch cell testing equipment at its existing site in Brisbane, and to launch a program of rigorous testing, including providing prototype anodes to potential customers.

Arena CEO Darren Miller says the investment in “homegrown battery technology” has the potential to change energy storage on a global scale.

“As we push towards our net zero ambitions, we need to ensure we have enough energy storage so that we can use renewable energy when we need it at any time of the day, whether that be for industry, homes or the growing switch to electric vehicles,” Miller says.

“Innovation in storage technologies is going to help us achieve this, and AnteoTech’s technology could create batteries higher in density, while utilising cheap abundant materials that could bring costs down.

“We’re hopeful this technology has the potential to be quickly integrated in existing manufacturing processes so that the benefits can be accessed by customers in a timely manner.”