Rio Tinto strikes A$6 million JDA with GMG to speed up the development of Graphene Aluminium-Ion batteries

Graphene Manufacturing Group (GMG) and Rio Tinto announced the signing of a definitive Joint Development Agreement (JDA) to speed up the development and implementation of GMG's Graphene Aluminium-Ion batteries in the mining and minerals sector. Rio Tinto will invest A$6 million in return for early access and meet specific technical and operational performance standards.

The JDA expands upon the current relationship between GMG and Rio Tinto to investigate the feasibility of implementing GMG's Energy Saving and Energy Storage solutions. It will run for two years, with payments being made in instalments. The primary objective of the JDA is the joint development of a proof-of-concept battery pack/module based on GMG's Graphene Aluminium-Ion battery pouch cell.

"We are excited to be collaborating with Rio Tinto, one of the world's largest mining companies who are committed to leveraging leading technologies for efficient and low carbon operations. The collaboration with Rio Tinto on the applications of Graphene Aluminium-Ion batteries is a key step for GMG. Together, with the existing technical and supply chain partnerships already established, this is another important step towards GMG's goal to become a major global supplier of next generation batteries as we continue to de-risk the commercial scale up of this technology," said GMG's Managing Director and CEO, Craig Nicol.

Rio Tinto has prioritised the net zero transition in its business strategy, combining investments in commodities that facilitate the energy transition with efforts to decarbonise its operations and value chains. The primary goal of this JDA is to expedite the development of GMG's Graphene Aluminium-Ion Batteries for usage in mining and mineral processing heavy mobile equipment and grid energy storage applications.

Rio Tinto will engage with GMG and OEMs, particularly Heavy Mobile Equipment OEMs, to match battery pack development with end-user needs. Suppose Rio Tinto's decarbonisation efforts are successful, the company may experience improved performance through quicker charging and longer-lasting batteries for heavy mobile equipment and grid energy storage.

Rio Tinto Chief Scientist Nigel Steward said, "We are excited to expand and deepen our partnership with GMG. We both share a vision of a low-carbon future and for Rio Tinto it's a crucial time to partner with companies like GMG to accelerate battery technology and innovation. We are looking forward to continuing our collaboration and leveraging our combined expertise and resources to develop a truly green battery that has the potential to improve the way we supply and store energy."

GMG will maintain ownership of the GMG Graphene Aluminium Ion Battery Pouch Cell and Battery Pack's intellectual property. Rio Tinto would have the right to purchase and utilise the batteries when the joint project was completed successfully.