Australia's Role in the Battery Revolution

Christaan Jordaan of Sicona and Novalith talks to us about Australia’s great opportunity in batteries.

Yes, the sun doesn’t shine and the wind doesn’t always blow. But there’s lots of technologies for those in between times - some are old, some are new but all of them are getting much much better. Pumped hydro, hydrogen, thermal storage and of course, BATTERIES.

Batteries are getting cheaper, more efficient and more omnipresent. But where will all the materials come from and what role can Australia play?

Nick and Alex chatted to Christiaan who is involved in not one but TWO impressive Australian startups targeting this huge economic opportunity. The first Sicona, is innovating within the battery, helping to improve the efficiency via unique anode materials. The other is Novalith, which is commercialising a technology to make the extraction of lithium - a key battery material - more efficient and more environmentally friendly.

We cover a lot in this episode including:

• The role of batteries in addressing climate change
• Christiaan’s unique perspective on the industry (having worked at one stage in a graphite mine in Mozambique)
• The key materials in the battery supply chain and where they come from
• The exciting opportunity for both Sicona and Novalith
• Some of the inspiring international companies innovating in battery technology

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Some more reading if you’re interested in the topic

• A TED-talk primer on how batteries work

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Music by the late, great Nick Weaver

Production by our hero Mark Spencer from Here.Media

Socials by the legend Rebecca Sather Jenkins

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About the podcast

Climate change is the greatest challenge facing humanity. The consequences are so dire that the media usually focuses on the negative and many of us have no idea where to begin.

To flip the script, clean energy experts Alex McIntosh and Nick Zeltzer host A Positive Climate, an uplifting podcast focused on ways to tackle climate change.

If you want to be inspired by interviews with some of Australia’s most innovative people, if you want to learn a lot (and laugh a little) and if you want a way to leave your climate related existential crises at bay, this podcast is for you.

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