CSIRO to invest $50 million in storage tech of tomorrow

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Australia’s national science agency, the CSIRO, on Friday announced it would invest $50 million over the next five years as part of a $200 million portfolio of Future Science Platforms.

Presumably, each of the four ‘Future Science Platforms’ will receive $50 million, with the platforms spanning ‘Revolutionary Energy Storage Systems’ and ‘Permanent Carbon Locking’ as well as health. 

“Unlocking the secret to efficient and safe energy storage could see us charge electric vehicles as easily as we now fill our petrol tanks, or keep portable our devices charged for many days without the need for a top up,” Dr Adam Best, Interim Director of the Revolutionary Energy Storage Systems stream, said.

“On a larger scale, it could even be mimicking pumped hydro through new technology and making it more responsive to the needs of the grid.”

The storage stream’s intention is to reimagine Australia’s electricity grid to incorporate more sources of renewable power, “push[ing] the boundaries of existing research through collaboration with universities and industry,” the CSIRO said.

The agency will also be looking into carbon capture and carbon storage science, with Dr Andrew Lenton, Director of the Carbon Locking stream, saying atmospheric carbon removal will prove imperative to avoiding the worst impacts of climate change.

“CSIRO’s Future Science Platforms are a big part of our strategy to stay at the forefront of discovery,” CSIRO’s Chief Scientist Professor Bronwyn Fox said, noting the programs will bring together industry and science, including early career researchers.

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