PPK news alert email. Reference battery.
“Our initial assessment of the technology was that it looked like it’d be really interesting for the mining sector, but as we really dug into our due diligence, we realised that if someone could manufacture BNNTs at high volume and high quality, that there were literally dozens of vertical markets that that product would improve,” Levison said.
“We’ve focused on the battery area which has massive markets such as EVs, drones, cell phones, anything that requires greater battery life, faster charging, more density, lighter batteries etc.
“And then the second obvious area for us was the ballistic alloy area where we see real advantages on being able to either strengthen or lighten – or both – materials that are used in aerospace and defence.”
“The lithium sulphur battery project is an example of PPK’sincubation and commercialisation skills, we entered into that project less than24 months ago with Deakin when they had science that they believed that they’dperfected,” Levison said.
“We’ve added BNNT to the product and Li-S has then developed asecond component called Li-S nanomesh, which again has improved the performanceof the battery.”
The benefits of lithium sulphur batteries over lithium-ionbatteries are that they are more energy dense, cleaner, and greener, but no onehas been able to produce a product that’s stable enough or has a long life.
Until now.
“We believe we’ve produced a lithium sulphur battery that hasthe same, if not better, cycle life or lasting capability to a traditionallithium-ion battery but with all of the benefits of lithium sulphur batterybeing higher energy density, less degradation, not so many of the reallynegatively viewed rare materials that are needed in lithium-ion battery,”Levison said.
And before the end of the month, PPK expects Li-S Energy to IPOon the ASX with a market cap of around $600-700 million – which Levison says isproof of process.
“There are significant institutional investors who’ve got behindthat opportunity, and we see it as one of many that will come out of PPK Groupthe parent company,” he said.
“What we’re hearing from our investor base is they really likethe fact that we are keeping a material stake in each of these investments.
“So even when Li-S Energy lists on the ASX at $600-700 millionmarket cap PPK will still own close to 50% of that business – which I thinkhelps drive the underlying value of the PPK shareholding.”
Li-S Energy sharesare expected to start trading on ASX in late August.
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