Staff of the CRC industry, Government and research partners, post graduate students and other interested parties are invited to attend the free FBICRC 2021 participant forum held on the 19th of May this year on both online and in-person events.

The aim of the upcoming forum is to address the future of battery production in Australia, with FBICRC predicting that demand for batteries in Australia is “to grow nine-fold by 2030”. With rapid development like this projected, the challenge for the battery industry is to understand the key opportunities which can attract investment, harvest growth and jobs to support Australia’s economy and prepare for what is ahead.

Event Information

The research forum will be split into two sections and various sub-sections/parts, with plenty of opportunities for Q&A sessions.

First Session

The breakfast plenary will run from 7am to 9am at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre. This is the only part of the day that is hosted in person; the rest following online. CSIRO and the FBICRC have come together to host this business breakfast and provide a networking opportunity. Here, CSIRO Futures Director James Deverell will speak on the Critical Energy Minerals Roadmap, that will be followed promptly by Accenture Engagement Director Toby Brennan who will share the initial findings on the key opportunities for Australia in the battery minerals value chain from mining to recycling.

Proceeding this briefing, a panel of key industry leaders will share their views on the opportunities for Australia to capitalise on strong demand for its critical mineral resources.

Follow this link to register for the plenary session.

Second Session

The second session of the forum will then be held from 10am-4pm online only, where FBICRC will provide portfolio updates, and a round table discussion on R&D outcomes. (To attend this event, interested parties must register through a different link).

Between 10-11:30am Resources, processing and recycling will be the areas up for discussion followed by a Q&A. This will include:

• The future of electrolyte systems
• The enhancement of lithium extraction
• Super Anode
• Nickel and Cobalt Extraction Technologies
• Process Legacy
• The Cathode Precursor Production Pilot Plant

Shortly after, between 12-1pm the round table discussion will take place where Industry leaders will lead a conversation based on good research and development practises in commercial contexts and the FBICRC’s approach to these practices.

Beginning at 1:30 is the manufacturing, testing and development part which is followed by a Q&A at 2:30pm. In this time frame, the following topics will be discussed:

• National Battery Testing Centre
• Electrochemical Testing
• Microgrid Battery Deployment
• Mobile Mine Electrification

The final part of the forum will begin at 3pm and conclude at 4pm. This last segment will focus on industry development, certification and life-cycle analysis, trusted supply chain, battery industry hubs and lastly, vocational skills gap assessment. 

If you are interested and would like to join one or both of the sections, please click the links below:

Plenary Session  |  FBICRC Project Portfolio & Discussion Session