TEXEL and Curtin University agree to develop next-generation battery

Supported by the Australian Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources, Curtin University has developed a new battery technology, not only to bring down the cost of energy storage, but also to ensure the technology becomes more sustainable and environmentally friendly. The technology does not include any rare earth elements and does not consume any of the planet’s resources.

Swedish battery technology development company TEXEL Energy Storage (TEXEL) and Curtin University have now signed an agreement to develop the new thermochemical energy storage/battery technology, with a focus on commercialisation.

The energy storage market is one of the fastest growing, and a low-cost storage technology, in combination with renewable energy like wind and solar, is the key to turning away from fossil fuels and creating a renewable and sustainable future.

“The collaboration with Curtin University adds important knowledge and intellectual property to our existing energy storage development program, and will dramatically decrease the time of our commercialisation and industrialisation process,” said Lars Jacobsson, CEO of TEXEL Energy Storage.

The Curtin University and TEXEL collaboration began in 2018 and was formalised in late 2019, when Curtin was awarded a Global Innovation Linkage (GIL) grant.

“This new technology provides us with a more cost-effective and efficient way to store energy as heat to produce electrical energy, without being heavily reliant on typical battery materials such as lithium and cobalt,” said Professor Craig Buckley from Curtin’s School of Electrical Engineering, Computing and Mathematical Sciences. “We are delighted to enter this new phase of our collaboration with TEXEL and look forward to working closely with their team on the commercialisation of this technology.”