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Newcastle-based 3ME Technology has been selected by the US Defense Innovation Unit to demonstrate its EdgeVOLT portable energy storage system under a rapid prototyping program.
Australian advanced battery company 3ME Technology has secured a place in a US defence innovation program that will demonstrate its EdgeVOLT portable energy storage system for military applications, highlighting the growing role of Australian-developed battery technology in strengthening allied energy resilience and AUKUS Pillar 2 cooperation.
The Newcastle-based company has been selected by the US Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to deliver and demonstrate EdgeVOLT under the Portable Resilient Integrated Storage Module (PRISM) prototype program.
The award provides 3ME with an opportunity to demonstrate Australian-developed energy technology against US defence requirements while potentially opening a pathway towards broader allied adoption.
The PRISM program will evaluate both the standard EdgeVOLT configuration and a cold-weather variant incorporating South 8 Technologies’ LiGas battery cells.
The specialised cells are designed to operate across temperatures ranging from minus 60 degrees to 60 degrees, potentially allowing portable energy systems to maintain reliable performance in some of the world’s most demanding operating environments.
EdgeVOLT is a rugged, modular battery system designed to provide portable power for defence, emergency response and remote industrial applications.
Its potential military applications include powering communications equipment, sensors, field infrastructure, autonomous systems and other mission equipment.
The system is also designed to reduce reliance on conventional fuel-powered generators, potentially lowering the logistical burden associated with transporting, storing and distributing fuel to deployed forces.
That has become an increasingly important consideration for modern militaries, where energy resilience can directly influence operational endurance.
Justin Bain, CEO at 3ME Technology, celebrated this decision by the US DIU, saying, “This award is an important opportunity for 3ME Technology to demonstrate how Australian-developed energy systems can help address power and endurance challenges for defence users.”
The selection is also significant from an AUKUS Pillar 2 perspective.
3ME Technology is an AUKUS Authorised User, enabling the company to participate in trusted technology collaboration across Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
While AUKUS is best known for Australia’s nuclear-powered submarine program, Pillar 2 is intended to accelerate cooperation across a much broader range of advanced military technologies.
Energy storage is emerging as an increasingly important component of that technology ecosystem.
Electrification, autonomous systems, distributed sensors and increasingly sophisticated communications networks are placing greater demands on deployed power generation and storage.
For forces operating across Australia’s vast distances and the wider Indo-Pacific, the ability to deploy reliable energy without maintaining a constant fuel supply could provide significant logistical and operational advantages.
The 3ME selection consequently illustrates how AUKUS can provide Australian companies with access to US defence programs while giving the United States access to technologies developed within Australia’s advanced manufacturing sector.
Bain said: “We are proud to support the Defense Innovation Unit program and to contribute our experience in mission-ready power solutions to this rapid prototype to production effort.”
The agreement also highlights the strategic importance of developing Australia’s sovereign battery and energy-storage industry.
3ME is an Australian-owned advanced battery systems and electrification company headquartered in Newcastle, NSW, developing high-performance mobility and power and energy systems for safety- and mission-critical applications.
For Australia, the potential value extends beyond a single defence contract.
A successful transition from prototype to production could create opportunities for Australian engineers, battery specialists, software developers, technicians and advanced manufacturers while connecting domestic industry to one of the world’s largest defence markets.
That is precisely the type of industrial pathway Australia needs as it seeks to transform its substantial mineral resources and growing advanced manufacturing base into higher-value sovereign capabilities.
The PRISM program therefore provides 3ME with more than an opportunity to demonstrate EdgeVOLT. It offers a potential pathway for Australian battery technology to move from domestic development into US and allied defence supply chains, strengthening both Australia’s industrial base and the technological foundations of AUKUS.
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