Moah Chung
Senior Project Engineer
“My personal values align with the work I’m doing now, more than ever before.”
Moah is a Senior Project Engineer working in battery materials in Perth, Australia. Every day she comes to work to make a difference.
“Before joining Worley, I worked in the oil and gas industry for almost seven years. I left to explore new career opportunities after relocating from Seoul to Australia. Most of my engineering experience was in the traditional energy sphere so I didn’t think there were many alternative options for me,” says Moah.
“I’d never imagined working in the battery materials industry. But the opportunities for growth are endless and I can’t wait to experience more.”
Moah wants to have a positive impact on the environment, and her work in the battery materials industry allows her to.
“I’m working on things that can make a difference towards environmental sustainability. Every day is different, and every project is challenging,” she says.
Overcoming challenges through technology development
Moah is optimistic about the role of batteries in the future energy mix. But says there are still challenges to overcome.
“As we progress through the energy transition, batteries will act as a primary energy source. To keep up the demand for battery materials and battery storage, we need developments in new materials and battery manufacturing technologies. Currently, demand far outweighs production capacity, as most key battery materials are concentrated in Asia, especially China.”
However, Moah explains that technologies like battery recycling could provide a pathway to meet the demand for raw materials.
“Battery recycling is not a new concept, but it is one we should consider developing at an accelerated pace. Right now, lithium-ion batteries are difficult to recycle. However, with improvements in technology, we could extract valuable metals from used batteries or recycle the remaining battery life for other industries.”
Collaboration for the future
When looking ahead, Moah believes that communication and creating partnerships across the entire supply chain will be key to a more sustainable future.
“New technology development in batteries will drag a lot of investment into our industry. It will also allow us to optimize the battery itself. In the next 10 years, I expect to see in-depth collaboration across different industries, like mining technologies, charging infrastructure, and energy storage,” says Moah.
“The journey to net zero is a collective one, and to get there we’ll need open communication lines and synergy across different industries unlike we’ve ever seen before.”
