Li-S Energy announced it has entered into a formal collaboration and cell supply agreement with a “leading defence technology company” to provide its lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery cells for performance and safety testing in defence applications.
The parties will also look to identify products that support the integration of Li-S Energy’s technology, assess integration requirements and collaborate to position the integrated products for procurement by defence customers globally.
Li-S Energy is focused on developing Li-S battery technology, aiming to deliver solutions that are lighter, more powerful, and longer-lasting than current lithium-ion options. The company said the technology offers key performance advantages where weight is critical, such as in drones, electric aviation and defence applications.
Brisbane-headquartered Li-S Energy said the new agreement will support performance and safety testing of Li-S cells in real-world defence applications, with the aim to integrate the technology into advanced systems including unmanned and high-performance military tech.
Li-S Energy Chief Executive Officer Lee Finniear said the partnership marks a key step in the company’s commercialisation strategy.
“We see global defence expenditure accelerating, the rapid adoption of unmanned air, sea and land systems and greater reliance on soldier-worn systems,” he said.
“Powered by batteries, these systems offer an extraordinary opportunity for Li-S Energy to enhance performance, range and capability to defence forces and their systems suppliers.”
The company, which last year commissioned a 2 MWh cell production line in Victoria, expects to deliver a first batch of test cells to the client for testing in the coming quarter.
While the defence technology company has not been identified, Li-S Energy said it is a well-established operation with more than two decades of experience delivering advanced solutions to defence forces in the United States, Europe and Australia.
Li-S Energy said its technologies include systems for vehicles and soldier-worn systems that are currently being used by allied and Australian forces across air, land and maritime domains.
Finniear said in addition to this collaboration, Li-S Energy is continuing discussions with prospective partners both in Australia and internationally.
“With our 2 MWh production and testing facility now in place, this year we are accelerating our global engagement in key markets, offering opportunities to key partners for cell testing and trials,” he said.
The company is already working with New South Wales-based solar cell maker Halocell Energy and Queensland drone manufacturer V-TOL Aerospace to develop a drone that can operate from dawn to dusk on a single charge.
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