Commitment to build Avalon battery gigafactory

BY JAMES TAYLOR

THE key proponent of the proposed battery manufacturing gigafactory in Geelong says he is fully committed to the project being built.

Geelong-based Recharge Industries, part of the portfolio of business networking and business financing company Scale Facilitation, announced in late 2022 its plan to construct one of the world’s largest lithium-ion battery cell production facilities on a site near Avalon Airport by 2026.

In February, US-based technical professional services firm Jacobs Solutions was appointed to lead the design of the gigafactory, which will generate about two gigawatt hours (GWh) of storage capacity shortly after construction, eventually rising to 30GWh and employing up to 2,000 people

In March, Recharge Industries finalised its purchase of UK startup Britishvolt out of administration.

Britishvolt had similar plans to build a huge battery plant in the UK and Recharge will now push ahead with that project first.

Scale Facilitation founder and chief executive officer David A. Collard said Recharge Industries’ acquisition of Britishvolt was the right decision, and constructing the UK gigafactory would ultimately have benefits for the Geelong gigafactory.

“I am committed more than ever to Geelong and as long as my internal batteries are kicking, I’ll make sure the Avalon facility gets built.”

Mr Collard, who grew up in Geelong, said he was “with five mates from St Joeys in a hotel room fighting to win a competitive process” when Britishvolt went into administration in January.

“We prevailed, which was great. I felt I had the whole of Australia and Geelong supporting us, which drove me to work hard and use all the knowledge I attained in my formative years in Geelong.

“We’re definitely not the biggest company and had the administration process been longer, we definitely would have been beaten by larger, slower-moving companies, but our small quads got it done with great support from KordaMentha and in particular Scott Langdon.

“I’m thankful for all the community’s support, including my amazing employees and our strategic partners, who continue to back us as we integrate the UK business and realign our operations globally to fast-track the UK facility and by extension the Geelong facility, which will benefit from all the learnings and know-how acquired in the UK.

“We have secured all the infrastructure assets now, which is a critical milestone and puts us in the strongest position going forward to ensure we keep this as a 100 per cent owned subsidiary of our Geelong-headquartered Recharge Industries.”

Scale Facilitation has an office in Geelong and also occupies an entire floor of New York’s One World Trade Centre.