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Australia’s first lithium-ion battery production facility to open this year

The $28 million site located near Newcastle will build batteries for electric trucks and buses tailored for Australian weather conditions.


Construction of Australia’s first lithium-ion battery production facility has begun near Newcastle, with commercial vehicle power packs due to go into production by July.

The 4000 square metre site – run by start-up Energy Renaissance – will produce batteries tailored to Australian weather conditions, with a focus on commercial vehicles and buses.

Development costs will total approximately $28 million, and the facility will employ “up to” 100 people, according to a spokesperson for the project.

Annual battery output will initially sit at approximately 48 megawatt hours, before increasing to 180 megawatt hours by 2022.

Jens Goennemann – managing director of the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre, which has invested in the site – told CarAdvice: "Energy Renaissance’s announcement of on-shore, Lithium-ion battery manufacturing is exactly what we need more of in Australia."

"By building local manufacturing capability and adding value to domestic commodities, [Australia] will be able to supply critical componentry to local and global automotive [vehicle manufacturers]."

Mr Goennemann said Australia has “an opportunity to lead the world when it comes to energy transition, while adding value to our abundant natural resources.”

He said the company's hot-climate battery technology “has numerous applications across ... energy, defence, commercial and industrial – both domestically and abroad.”

The site has a theoretical maximum output of 5.3 gigawatt hours per annum, however a spokesperson for Energy Renaissance said expansion beyond 2022 would be driven by market demand.


William Davis

William Davis has written for Drive since July 2020, covering news and current affairs in the automotive industry. He has maintained a primary focus on industry trends, autonomous technology, electric vehicle regulations, and local environmental policy. As the newest addition to the Drive team, William was brought onboard for his attention to detail, writing skills, and strong work ethic. Despite writing for a diverse range of outlets – including the Australian Financial Review, Robb Report, and Property Observer – since completing his media degree at Macquarie University, William has always had a passion for cars.

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