ACBC WA | Industries of the Future: Electricity grids, battery storage and battery waste management

04 Oct 2023

Electric vehicles (EVs) and their role in the decarbonisation of countries all around the world are widely talked about. But what about their role in feeding unused electricity back into the grid? What about the future of trading stored electricity on the open market? And what are we going to do with all this battery waste at its end of life?

At Industries of the Future, we’re bringing together industry experts, innovators, and thought leaders to shed light on the evolving landscape of batteries and electricty. This event is your opportunity to engage with the most pressing questions surrounding the industry, with potential discussion points including:

Grid Integration: Discover how EVs can be a driving force in the bid to make energy grids more sustainable. Explore innovative solutions for feeding unused electricity from EVs back into the grid, contributing to a cleaner and more resilient energy system.

Energy Trading: Gain insights into the future of trading stored electricity on the open market. Learn how EVs can become pivotal players in energy markets, creating new opportunities for energy generation, distribution, and trading.

Sustainable Solutions: Address the critical issue of battery waste and the sustainable management of EV batteries at their end of life.

This event isn’t just about discussions; it’s about driving action and fostering collaboration to shape a greener and more sustainable future. Engage in thought-provoking discussions, connect with like-minded individuals, and be inspired by the latest advancements in EV technology and policy.

Join us as we navigate the electrifying journey of EVs beyond transportation and unlock their potential to drive meaningful change for our planet.

Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of the conversation. Reserve your spot today and be a part of the movement towards a more sustainable and electrifying future.

Each speaker will discuss their area of expertise for 5 minutes with a panel discussion to follow in which we encourage attendees to come prepared with questions. This will be followed by networking drinks and canapes.

Speakers

Dr Jemma Green, Chairman & Co-founder, Powerledger
Raj Surendran, CEO, Tianqi Lithium Energy Australia
Professor Aleksandar Nikoloski, Academic Chair of Extractive Metallurgy, Murdoch University

To be followed by a panel discussion moderated by Dr Nick Moffatt, Partner, ESG Advisory and Assurance, KPMG.

Time & Date: 4:45pm-7:00pm, Wednesday 8 November

Location: KPMG, Level 8, 235 St Georges Terrace, Perth

Cost: Free for ACBC members and electricity/battery/lithium etc industry representatives – $25 for other individuals

Spaces are limited – register early and please note that those who register for a complimentary ticket when ineligible may have their ticket cancelled.

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Event Speakers

Dr Jemma Green

Chairman & Co-founder, Powerledger

After completing a business degree majoring in finance at Murdoch University, Perth, Jemma joined J.P. Morgan in London. At the time financial markets were just starting to take sustainability seriously and had begun interrogating major projects on their triple bottom line. Her job was to check environmental performance of clients and their ventures, while not degrading the profitability of the bank too badly. This was always going to be an interesting and nuanced task and brought plenty of internal soul searching and conflict. As Jemma formulated her own thoughts on the matter she tried to raise the sustainability of relatively simple things like the bank's waste policy and found that nothing was straightforward, especially in large organisations. Looking for a fresh challenge, Jemma extended her sustainability credentials with a PhD in electricity market disruption at Curtin University with a project that explored solar power in apartment buildings. This PhD was in part an embryonic example of what is now a classic Powerledger theme, peer to peer sharing. Soon after completing the PhD, she and her co-founders, looked at blockchain technology and framed some of the ideas in the doctorate and put the new venture on a commercial footing. Since then, Jemma has developed numerous projects around the themes of transactive energy, energy provenance and energy certification all of which are predicated on blockchain and crypto currency. Clients include eKwateur (provenance), M-RETS in the USA (certification), Chiang Mai Thailand with TDED (transactive). Jemma is a regular contributor to Forbes magazine and a well-known speaker at many of the industry conferences.

Raj Surendran

CEO, Tianqi Lithium Energy Australia

Raj Surendran was appointed CEO of Tianqi Lithium Energy Australia on 19 October. TLEA is a joint venture between global new energy materials company, Tianqi Lithium Corporation, in China, and Australian Miner IGO Ltd. The company owns 100 per cent of the lithium hydroxide refinery, in Kwinana, and 51 per cent of the Talison Lithium Mine, in Greenbushes, Western Australia: the world’s largest and highest quality hard rock lithium deposit. Mr Surendran is a highly experienced senior executive with over 20 years of finance, business development, strategy, project management and commercial leadership experience in Australia. He held senior finance positions with Aurizon, Wesfarmers, BGC Australia and DUET Group (Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline) before joining Tianqi Lithium’s Kwinana operation in 2019 as General Manager Finance. In September 2021, Mr Surendran was appointed Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the newly formed TLEA joint venture. As COO, he led the Kwinana team through many milestone accomplishments including the achievement of first battery-grade lithium, in May 2022. Mr Surendran has a Master of Business Administration from the University of Western Australia.

Professor Aleks Nikoloski

Academic Chair of Extractive Metallurgy, Murdoch University

Professor Aleks Nikoloski is an expert in the electrochemistry of leaching and the reduction processes used in the hydrometallurgical treatment of metals and minerals and is the Academic Chair of Extractive Metallurgy at Murdoch University. Professor Nikoloski holds a PhD in Metallurgical Engineering and has over twenty years of teaching and research experience in Extractive Metallurgy, as well as several years’ experience in industry. During his time in industry, Aleks conducted cutting-edge research, leading several research projects some of which have led to established commercial operations. He has significant experience in the metallurgical process development using pilot plant scale test work and investigates the process dynamics of metallurgical processes for the treatment of non-ferrous metals, in particular nickel, cobalt, copper, gold and the platinum group metals, as well as lithium, manganese and vanadium.

Dr Nick Moffatt

Partner, ESG Advisory and Assurance, KPMG

Nick leads the greenhouse gas emissions and decarbonisation service for KPMG’s national sustainability team. He has extensive experience in developing and auditing greenhouse gas inventories (scope 1, 2 and 3) as well as providing advisory and assurance services for sustainability strategy, ESG reporting, climate risk, net zero pathways, decarbonisation and processes governing environmental, social, health and safety risk. Nick is a Chartered Chemical Engineer and a Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers and is an accredited Category 2 Greenhouse and Energy Auditor with the Australian Clean Energy Regulator and the Singapore National Environment Agency. Nick led the KPMG’s WA Sustainability Services practice for more than 13 years, providing sustainability advisory and assurance services to a range of sectors including mining, oil and gas, utilities and Government. Prior to KPMG, Nick worked in the downstream gas processing sector (hydrogen, ammonia and ammonium nitrate) for more than 20 years with experience in the operational management and maintenance management of major manufacturing facilities both in the UK and Australia.