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Why not make something we need for a solar future - Batteries! Specifically 18650s

Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2020 8:28 pm
by Sparks
I propose the manufacture of 18650 cell type batteries for Adelaide at the Holden site. (or anywhere here really)

One of the most common type used for home energy storage and also used for cars, the 18650 cell is darn difficult thing to get shipped into Australia, costly too, with the amount of paperwork to get a pallet imported. Safety regulations, liability insurance, packaging, method of transport, who will transport are nightmares due to the explosive (perceived) nature of the cell. That $100 million big battery bank is going to need replacing and it uses those cells. The tax on importing them too is pretty huge too. So why not make them here? We have the technical expertise and we pretty much between the east and west coast of Australia for equidistant distribution when resources are taken into account plus delivery systems.

They are relatively simple to make. A saw the flattening of the materials being put together before rolling them up for each cell being made on a cobbled together ornate cast iron machine that looked like it was from the early 1900s.

Re: Why not make something we need for a solar future - Batteries! Specifically 18650s

Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2020 9:09 pm
by SBD
Sparks wrote:
Fri Dec 04, 2020 8:28 pm
I propose the manufacture of 18650 cell type batteries for Adelaide at the Holden site. (or anywhere here really)

One of the most common type used for home energy storage and also used for cars, the 18650 cell is darn difficult thing to get shipped into Australia, costly too, with the amount of paperwork to get a pallet imported. Safety regulations, liability insurance, packaging, method of transport, who will transport are nightmares due to the explosive (perceived) nature of the cell. That $100 million big battery bank is going to need replacing and it uses those cells. The tax on importing them too is pretty huge too. So why not make them here? We have the technical expertise and we pretty much between the east and west coast of Australia for equidistant distribution when resources are taken into account plus delivery systems.

They are relatively simple to make. A saw the flattening of the materials being put together before rolling them up for each cell being made on a cobbled together ornate cast iron machine that looked like it was from the early 1900s.
If it was that simple and cost-effective, someone would already be doing it. Are you looking for investors?

The Holden site is now owned by a Melbourne-based investor I think, not sure if there are any tenants yet.

There is greenfield industrial land in Edinburgh North (south and West of the Drake warehouse) and Penfield (near the standard gauge railway) if an existing factory is harder to convert than a vacant block of land. A greenfield site might be easier to ensure any necessary buffer zones if there is an explosive risk - or even somewhere further north along the railways.

Re: Why not make something we need for a solar future - Batteries! Specifically 18650s

Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2020 5:27 pm
by Howie
Why 18650's though? I'm in the middle of replacing all my 18650's to the more versatile 21700's. If we're to manufacture at all why build yesterday's technology.

Re: Why not make something we need for a solar future - Batteries! Specifically 18650s

Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2021 10:52 pm
by HiTouch
You don't seem like a bright spark with all this battery talk.