A $1.46 million Battery Management System (BMS) is set to find a new home at Tomago.
The Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (IMCRC) has just invested in a defence-grade cyber-secure BMS for Energy Renaissance’s super storage family of batteries that are scheduled to be manufactured at the 4,500sqm purpose-built Port Stephens facility.
The project, jointly-funded and developed by Energy Renaissance with Australia’s national science agency CSIRO and the IMCRC, will produce Australian-made batteries, which are safe, secure, affordable and optimised to perform in hot climates.
They’ll also power stationary (grid and microgrid, renewables, community storage, mining electrification, Defence SilentWatch) and transport (buses, light commercial and industrial vehicles) applications.
The BMS will monitor and report on the battery’s usage, lifespan and faults through a mobile network to Energy Renaissance and its customers.
Communicating through an inverter, the system can secure real time data, analytics and remote management to drive down the risk of battery failure and operating costs for grid-scale energy storage users.
“The collaboration between Energy Renaissance, CSIRO and IMCRC will promote an Australian BMS instead of relying on an overseas technology platform,” Energy Renaissance technology and development director Brian Craighead said.
“Working together with the CSIRO ensures we can create a world-class defence-grade cyber-secure Battery Management System that is fully-developed and managed in Australia for critical energy storage infrastructures.”
IMCRC CEO and managing director David Chuter sees the research alliance between Energy Renaissance and CSIRO as a catalyst for further establishing an Australian battery manufacturing sector.
“The growing interest in renewable energy and thus demand for lithium-ion batteries provides a great opportunity for this nation,” he said.
“Through accessing local knowledge and expertise, this project will demonstrate how we can utilise Industry 4.0 technologies and principles to establish a viable Australian battery manufacturing sector for the benefit of all Australians, and as a national manufacturing priority.
“The commitment from all involved in this initiative will help position and strengthen the value and influence of Australia’s role as a strategic partner in the global lithium-ion battery value chain.”
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