Magnis raises $7.65m to accelerate Townsville battery ‘gigafactory’ plans

Published by

The Driven

The ASX-listed Magnis Energy Technologies has raised $7.65 million through an oversubscribed capital raising, to fund preparatory work for planned battery gigafactories in Townsville and New York.

After placing the company’s shares into a trading halt on Wednesday, Magnis announced that it had successfully undertaken the $7.65 million share placement, attracting strong interest from new and existing shareholders.

The company said the share placement was oversubscribed, having received offers from Australian and international investors from institutional and sophisticated investors. The company was pleased with the high level of support shown through the successful share placement.

“The strong support is highly encouraging and it is great to welcome several institutional investors as shareholders as we work towards achieving our major milestones,” Magnis chairman Frank Poullas said.

Magnis added that newly appointed executive director James Dack had made a $500,000 investment in the company, which will be subject to shareholder approval.

The company issued 45 million new shares at a price of 17 cents per share, representing around a 10 per cent discount on the share price when the trading halt was instigated.

“The funds will be used for working capital purposes and to advance all projects with the focus on being on near-term cell manufacturing from our majority owned lithium-ion battery plant in New York, along with our exciting battery technology programs,” the company said in a statement.

Magnis engaged Aitken Murray Capital Partners and Foster Stockbroking to manage the placement.

The company recently completed a feasibility study into a potential battery gigafactory in Townsville in Queensland, which had been supported by a $3.1 million funding grant from the Queensland government. The feasibility study found that an investment in a Townsville based battery factory could prove highly profitable, while also creating more than 1,100 long-term jobs in the region.

The $3 billion Townsville battery factory would an unprecedented investment in Australian battery manufacturing capabilities, and the project has secured NAB as a financial advisor. The company hopes to make a financial investment decision on the Townsville plant by mid 2021, with first commercial production of batteries by the start of 2024.

The factory would have an annual production capacity of 15GWh of battery storage.

To read the full version of this story on RenewEconomy’s electric vehicle dedicated site, The Driven, click here…

 

Michael Mazengarb is a climate and energy policy analyst with more than 15 years of professional experience, including as a contributor to Renew Economy. He writes at Tempests and Terawatts.
Michael Mazengarb

Michael Mazengarb is a climate and energy policy analyst with more than 15 years of professional experience, including as a contributor to Renew Economy. He writes at Tempests and Terawatts.

Recent Posts

Massive 1.1 GW Queensland wind project that overcame state pause secures federal approval

A mammoth 1.1 GW wind project that was paused in 2025 by the Queensland LNP…

15 July 2026

Coal giant gets nod to convert retired mine into solar and pumped hydro powerhouse with 12 hours storage

State approves plans of Australia's largest listed coal miner to transform a retired mine site…

15 July 2026

Renewables sector learning from messy failures after oil company collapses with $200m clean up bill

Another oil and gas company collapse raises new concerns about who picks up massive clean…

15 July 2026

Data centres will have “legal obligation” to BYO renewables, says PM, but LNP looms as spoiler

PM says data centres will have a "legal obligation" to meet their own energy needs…

15 July 2026

SwitchedOn podcast: Why the booming home battery market is staying clear of virtual power plants

Despite the potential for lower bills, and a stronger grid, most battery owners still aren't…

15 July 2026

Flood-prone rugby fields, gaps in regional health: First round of REZ grants back 46 community projects

New drainage systems for flood-prone sports ground and a new community health hub are among…

15 July 2026