Energy solutions

The Biochar to Batteries project is exploring how biochar—produced by carbonising organic waste—can be used as a sustainable material in sodium-ion batteries and supercapacitors. Unlike lithium-ion batteries, which rely on mined graphite and lithium, sodium-ion technology offers a cleaner, safer alternative for energy storage. 

A collaboration between Deakin Institute for Frontier Materials (led by Associate Professor Nolene Byrne), RMIT University, Barwon Water, South East Water, City of Greater Geelong and Intelligent Water Networks, the project investigated the technical feasibility of biochar derived from wastewater treatment, food and garden organics. 

The Biochar to Batteries project won the 2023 AWA Victorian R&D Excellence Award. 

Now another project between Deakin University, Barwon Water and RMIT will reinforce this approach, showing that biosolids, food scraps, and waste water treatment can be transformed into biochar product for commercial use.  

‘This Recycling and Clean Energy Commercialisation Hub (REACH) trailblazing project will build on Deakin’s international research exploring what the optimal formulations for biochar are for the Geelong region’s soil conditions to produce high-value cereal and legume crops,’ said Deputy Dean, Deakin’s Faculty of SEBE, Professor Lambert Brau. 

RESEARCHER: Associate Professor Nolene Byrne

Working with multi-award-winning technology development company Calix and Boron Molecular, Deakin Institute for Frontier Materials researchers at the Battery Research and Innovation Hub explored materials that are cheap, safe and abundant in nature to develop next-generation Australia-made battery materials that can be produced at scale. 

The partnership began in 2019, funded by a $9.4million Cooperative Research Centre Project for Advanced Hybrid Batteries, a collaboration between the Institute, Calix and Boron Molecular. It evolved under project funding through Deakin’s REACH (Recycling and Clean Energy Commercialisation Hub), to establish a globally competitive sovereign battery supply chain and infrastructure to support economic activity, scalability, export pathways and jobs. 

Key outcomes included: 

• Our researchers demonstrated to Calix that its material – lithium manganese oxide (LMO) – can perform at very high rates. The Calix production process, called Flash Calcining, is a breakthrough technology that rapidly produces high surface area materials with special qualities, and improves the LMO to create battery cathodes with outstanding capability for holding charge and recharging. The team demonstrated the Calix material performs equal to or better than commercial LMOs and that the Calix manufacturing process is faster and cheaper than traditional technologies. 

• The scaling up of the manufacturing process from only a few grams of raw materials and coin cells to the large-scale production of the materials at Calix and multilayered pouch cells produced at the Battery Research and Innovation Hub.  

• In 2023, multi-layered pouch cells were tested in a customer trials program in collaboration with the ARC Training Centre for Future Energy Storage Technologies (StorEnergy) industry partners, and a scooter battery pack using the technology was developed by a UK partner. 

• The Calix LMO, now being produced in quantities in the hundreds of kilograms, was trialled using the Battery Research and Innovation Hub electrode manufacturing facility to produce multi-metre, double-sided, high-quality electrodes for fabrication of multi-layer pouch cells. 

RESEARCHERS: Associate Professor Robert Kerr, Dr Hamid Illbeygi 

Lithium-sulphur (Li-S) batteries have long promised high energy density, but safety concerns and short lifespans have hindered their commercial viability—until now. Deakin Institute for Frontier Materials, in partnership with Li-S Energy Limited and BNNT Technology Limited, is pioneering a breakthrough Li-S battery using Boron Nitride Nanotubes (BNNTs), a nanomaterial that dramatically improves battery performance. 

Led by Deakin Distinguished Professor Ying (Ian) Chen and supported by a dedicated nanotechnology team, the Institute has spent over a decade developing this innovation. BNNTs and a new nano-composite, Li-nanomesh, address key challenges in Li-S batteries by inhibiting the polysulfide shuttle effect and lithium dendrite growth—two major barriers to stability and longevity. 

The result is a battery with significantly extended cycle life and high energy density, ideal for electric vehicles, aerospace, and portable electronics. Imagine charging your phone once a week or driving 1000km on a single charge. 

The project’s commercial journey began in 2018 with BNNT Technology Ltd producing high-purity BNNTs at Deakin’s ManuFutures facility. This led to a joint venture with PPK Group Ltd and the formation of Li-S Energy Limited, which is now scaling up production for real-world applications. 

In 2021, Li-S Energy Limited debuted on the ASX with a market capitalisation exceeding $1.7 billion—highlighting strong market confidence in advanced battery systems. 

This project represents a major leap forward in clean energy technology, with the potential to reshape how we power our lives and combat climate change. 

RESEARCHER: Deakin Distinguished Professor Ying (Ian) Chen