It’s no Gotham City, but Victoria does need its own Batman and tech player Calix (ASX:CXL) has responded — but it’s not quite what you think.

Rather than a masked, cape-wearing superhero that keeps cities safe, Victoria is actually now home to a new all-electric BATMn reactor.

The $2.7m reactor is Calix’s first all-electric reactor for the production of safer, more recyclable alternatives to current battery materials.

Speaking at the official opening of the reactor at the Calix Manufacturing Facility, federal Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said the reactor would open the door to a new frontier of advanced manufacturing and battery creation.

“Australia is well positioned to become a world leader in the booming lithium industry, which has huge potential to create new jobs and opportunities for Australians,” she said.

“As the world’s largest producer of lithium, we have an enormous opportunity to leverage off this rapidly-growing industry. That’s why the Morrison government supported the creation of the BATMn reactor with $800,000 through the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Fund.”

Commissioning has already confirmed that the company’s proprietary technology can be run from electric power, including intermittent power such as might be expected from some renewable energy sources.

Calix’s process also has the potential to be used in other industrial applications, such as lime and cement manufacture.

Victorian Senator David Van welcomed the opening of the reactor and the opportunities it would bring to regional Victoria saying it demonstrated the Australian government’s commitment to growing the battery industry.

The reactor will fuel the work of the Cooperative Research Centre Project (CRC-P) for Advanced Hybrid Batteries, which recently received $3m through round seven of the CRC-P Program.

Calix leads the CRC-P in collaboration with the Institute for Frontier Materials and BAT-TRI Hub at Deakin University and specialist chemicals manufacturer Boron Molecular.

CRC-P will use proprietary electrode materials manufactured at the BATMn reactor to produce high performance, affordable and recyclable lithium-ion hybrid batteries.