The Innovation Science Australia Board visited the Future Battery Industries CRC on the Wednesday 26 February 2020.
Chairman, Tim Shanahan along with Chief Executive Officer, Stedman Ellis and Chief Operating Officer, Jacques Eksteen hosted the members of the Board, along with members of their executive team, at the CSIRO facility in Waterford.
The Board undertook a tour of the BHP Pilot Plant led by Gary Frampton, Head of Business Development and Technical Projects at BHP Nickel West with assistance from Chris Vernon, Research Manager at the CSIRO. The plans to repurpose the equipment for the cathode precursor development project being pursued by FBICRC where discussed.
Mining Process Solutions’ Process and Business Development Manager Rueben Rajasingam also led the Board and executives on a walkthrough of MPS’ facilities to showcase heap/column leach of nickel and cobalt ores related to the FBICRC’s project on innovative nickel and cobalt extraction.
FBICRC extended an invitation to some current participants of the CRC to join a roundtable discussion with our visitors. We had representatives from IGO Limited, ChemCentre and Covalent Lithium. Topics included the state-of-play in battery industries in Australia currently, key research projects and longer-term growth opportunities.
Pictured: Tim Shanahan, Chairman of FBICRC, Andrew Stevens, Chairman of ISA Board, Chris Vernon, Research Manager at CSIRO and Gary Frampton, Head of Business Development and Technical Projects at BHP Nickel West.