Western Australia

“Key sources” of new lithium-ion for the battery materials market in 2019 will again come from Australia, say market analysts.

An additional 60 kilotonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) output will come from mines in the so-called ‘lucky country’, according to metal and materials research consultancy Wood Mackenzie.

Australia has shown its ability to “fast-track spodumene operations in recent years through a combination of a benign investment environment, technical expertise and existing infrastructure”, Wood Mackenzie said.

Mining behemoth BHP is stepping up investment in nickel mine development and exploration in Western Australia to become “a globally-significant battery materials supplier”.

Asset president of BHP’s Nickel West Australia mine-to-market business, Eduard Haegel, told a mining conference the group’s strategy is to secure supplies of a key battery material to supply increasing demand for electric vehicles (EVs).

Mining firms have unveiled a blueprint they say could transform Australia into a global battery development hub— and grab a multi-billion-dollar slice of the “lithium value chain”.

A new report from Australia’s Association of Mining and Exploration Companies (AMEC) calls on the federal government to declare battery minerals processing an “industry priority”— and use tax breaks and other incentives to entice global industry giants to the country to kick-start a domestic battery industry.