Southern Gold Limited announced that its battery technology firm IonDrive Technologies (IDT) has been named the primary partner organisation in a newly awarded Australian Research Council (ARC) battery recycling centre in Adelaide, South Australia.
In particular, ARC has approved $5 million in funding for the University of Adelaide to build an Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Battery Recycling in Adelaide.
The funding is expected to help advance further research to improve the efficiency of IonDrive’s direct solvent extraction recycling intellectual property, which has the potential to be a low-cost, environmentally friendly, highly selective method for recovering battery metals from spent cathode material.
JC Tan, IonDrive’s general manager, stated that the funding is an important win for the company because ARC awards are highly competitive and subject to peer evaluation, underscoring their significance.
He added that “IDT and the professors will together lead vital research for Australian battery recycling, particularly focusing on DES and its commercialisation. This grant will also drive more IP and patents, potentially in collaboration with other universities.”
Meanwhile, Southern Gold Managing Director Robert Smillie emphasised that Australia’s pursuit of a cleaner, more sustainable energy future has advanced significantly with the opening of the ARC Training Centre for Battery Recycling.
“Through partnerships, innovation, and research excellence, IonDrive is proud to play a central role in shaping this transformative journey as we begin the push towards several strategic initiatives to deliver commercialisation,” Smillie noted.
According to Southern Gold, the centre, led by Professor Shizhang Qiao of The University of Adelaide, aims to transform Australia’s battery and resources industries by establishing advanced manufacturing capabilities for recycling mixed battery materials, promoting second-life reuse, and fostering a battery circular economy.
For the next five years, IDT will donate $200,000 in cash per year as a catalyst for breakthroughs in battery recycling technology and practises.
Furthermore, IDT will provide $100,000 in in-kind contributions per year, which will include assistance for research projects, hosting Higher Degree Research students, mentoring and training for researchers, and active participation in Centre committees and knowledge-sharing events.
IDT, as an industry partner to UoA under the strategic partnership agreement, said it is now in a strong position to evaluate opportunities to accelerate the commercialisation of both its unique DES battery recycling technology and the development of new battery recycling technologies in collaboration with other universities.
The ARC’s Battery Recycling Training Centre also places the university and IonDrive at the forefront of battery recycling research in Australia, accelerating the commercialisation of these technologies, and demonstrating the transformative nature of the acquisition by Southern Gold.
