The National Battery Strategy is a key part of the Australian government’s Future Made in Australia agenda. It is intended to improve Australia’s resilience and security and drive economic growth by expanding Australia’s battery manufacturing capabilities and building skills.
Association for the Battery Recycling Industry’s (ABRI) CEO Katharine Hole said there is now an urgent need for an action plan with clear timelines backed by a transparent process for achieving access to funding.
She told BEST: “It is now time to action the strategy to deliver a clean energy transition, including jobs and investment in the battery recycling industry. Whilst both the recent federal budget and battery strategy clearly define the government’s ambitions in relation to manufacturing, there is little specific material detailing the stance for circular economy strategies including both the recycling of battery cells and the recovery of battery metals and materials.”
The plan is also supposed to help Australia meet the government’s target of 82% renewable energy and secure its place in global battery supply chains. The vision is that by 2035, Australia will be a globally competitive producer of batteries and battery materials.
The strategy defines battery recycling as a core component to underpin delivery of the targets to improve Australia’s energy security – including the sovereign capability in relation to minerals such as cobalt which will remain critical for battery manufacturing.
Hole also said that countries leading the battery circular economy are implementing a clear mix of funding and policy measures to drive investment, trade, ESG, net zero and jobs outcomes.
A group of 77 economists and policy specialists issued an open letter on 5 June offering support for strengthening Australian manufacturing. Decades of policy neglect has left Australia with a distorted and unbalanced economy, they said, citing government support in the US, EU and China. Such intervention supports battery manufacturing.
Photo: Association for the Battery Recycling Industry’s CEO Katharine Hole called for “urgent action.”
