A University of Adelaide researcher has secured $5 million in funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC) Industrial Transformation to develop a Training Centre for Battery Recycling.
Led by Professor Shizhang Qiao from the University of Adelaide’s School of Chemical Engineering, the new Training Centre seeks to enhance Australia’s battery and resource industry by developing advanced manufacturing capabilities for recycling mixed battery materials and promoting second-life reuse.
The centre will develop high-performance batteries designed for a circular economy and advance the supporting regulatory landscape in the industry, the University of Adelaide said in a media release.
“Research at the Training Centre will address the challenges associated with battery recycling, deliver industrial demonstrations and promotion policies, and create a dynamic skilled workforce,” Qiao said.
A fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, an ARC Australian Laureate Fellow and an inaugural ARC Australian Industry Laureate Fellow, Qiao focuses his research on the synthesis, characterisation and simulation of functional materials, as well as their applications in catalysts, energy storage, and conversion.
The training centre is expected to help shape a distinctive battery recycling model that will enable Australia to achieve zero battery waste to landfill and establish a profitable and self-sustaining onshore industry chain.
“The Training Centre for Battery Recycling will further contribute to Australia’s international standing in new energy and catalysis technologies,” said Professor Anton Middelberg, deputy vice-chancellor and vice-president for Research at the University of Adelaide.
The Australian government recently announced more than $64.8 million in funding for eight new ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centres and five new ARC Industrial Transformation Research Hubs to mentor and train Australia’s next generation of research professionals.
The ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centres scheme seeks to pave the way for collaborations among researchers and create end-user research capabilities vital to Australia’s future. These training centres will support partnerships between academia and industry to generate real-world outcomes that are vital to Australia’s economic growth.
