Queensland government offers grant to enable development of graphene aluminum-ion batteries.

Recognizing the potential of homemade graphene, the government of Queensland has signed an A$2 million funding agreement with Graphene Manufacturing Group Ltd. to support the company's proposed automated graphene aluminum-ion battery pilot plant in Brisbane, Australia.

"We want to thank the Queensland Government and acknowledge its commitment to supporting the critical and battery manufacturing industry in the state," said Graphene Manufacturing Group CEO Craig Nicol. "This is great recognition for GMG and GMG's next generation graphene aluminum ion battery and further shows the progress of the battery's development. We are very excited about this next phase of its maturation."

Made possible through the Queensland Critical Minerals and Battery Technology Fund, the grant is intended to support the cost of 50% of the proposed pilot plant, up to a maximum of A$2 million (US$1.3 million).

However, the grant is conditional on various preconditions, including GMG making a final investment decision in the battery pilot plant to be constructed at the company's existing Richlands manufacturing facility, a suburb in Brisbane.

In response to the news of the funding, Queensland Deputy Premier and Minister for Trade and Investment Cameron Dick said, "GMG's innovative use of graphene, in partnership with UQ [University of Queensland], is another example of our homegrown ingenuity that we will continue fostering here in Queensland."

"Their graphene aluminum-ion batteries could prove to be a real gamechanger on the world market and elevate Queensland's local battery industry to the next level," he added.

Recent test results suggest that GMG's graphene aluminum-ion batteries have longer lifespans than conventional lithium-ion batteries while also maintaining a stable temperature throughout charging and discharging cycles.

Given that its prototype 500 milliampere-hour pouch was successfully produced around the end of 2023, with funding to begin upgrading its existing facility, the newly added infrastructure may allow GMG to begin scaling its batteries toward commercial production.