Graphene Manufacturing Group advances aluminium-ion battery development with key U.S. partnership

Graphene Manufacturing Group CEO Craig Nicol joined Steve Darling from Proactive to share an update as the company continues to make strides in the development of its Graphene Aluminium-Ion Battery technology, a cutting-edge innovation being pursued in collaboration with the University of Queensland and Rio Tinto under a Joint Development Agreement. Nicol told Proactive, to accelerate battery development, GMG has signed a service contract with the Battery Innovation Center (BIC) in Indiana, USA. This partnership will support the next phase of research and optimization, leveraging BIC’s state-of-the-art 40,000-square-foot facility in Newberry, Indiana. As a globally recognized innovation hub, BIC specializes in advancing battery technologies, offering end-to-end support from research and development to prototype manufacturing and low-volume production—a critical advantage for GMG as it scales up its graphene-based energy storage solutions. Nicol emphasized that collaborating with BIC allows GMG to access advanced battery manufacturing infrastructure without incurring the high capital costs of building its own pilot production facility—an investment that could exceed AU$10 million. Through this agreement, GMG will retain full intellectual property (IP) rights over the battery development work, ensuring control over its proprietary technology while optimizing BIC’s cell design expertise and battery manufacturing capabilities. By integrating BIC’s expertise into its scale-up strategy, GMG can streamline the production of sample battery cells before committing to mass production, reducing risks and deferring large capital expenditures until the technology reaches a higher level of readiness. Looking ahead, GMG aims to optimize battery performance, produce initial test cells this year, and engage customers for validation. Nicol noted strong interest from major companies eager to integrate this technology. #proactiveinvestors #graphenemanufacturinggroupltd #BatteryTech #FastCharging #GMG #RioTinto #EnergyInnovation #CleanTech #BatteryInnovation #EVBatteries #GreenEnergy #GrapheneBatteries