[ferro-alloys.com]The Federal Government has joined the push for Australia to become a major processing, manufacturing and trading hub for lithium-ion batteries.

Echoing the sentiments of Federal Labor and the State Government, the coalition Government yesterday released an Austrade report which stated Australia was well-placed to capitalise on new opportunities in the battery sector, driven by a global uptake in electric vehicles and renewable energy storage.

Trade Minister Simon Birmingham said Austrade was ramping up efforts to attract international investment in the sector by highlighting Australia’s strong economic conditions, skilled workforce and well-established infrastructure.

“At the moment Australia produces about half of the world’s lithium, but once it’s mined out of the ground, it’s shipped offshore, with all of the value-creation activities such as processing and battery manufacturing occurring overseas,” he said.

Resources Minister Matt Canavan told Sky News Australia the Federal Government had already provided a $19.5 million loan to Pilbara Minerals to help establish access roads to its Pilgangoora lithium project in the Pilbara.

It was also supporting a Co-operative Research Centre into battery industries with a decision expected early next year and was negotiating with the US over how Australia could supply more “critical minerals” to the country’s economy.

WA Resources Minister Bill Johnston said the State Government looked forward to working with the Commonwealth in developing the battery industry.

Association of Mining and Exploration Companies chief executive Warren Pearce said the value chain for batteries was still fluid for Australia to position itself as a key player and to harvest a greater return for its minerals by domestic value-adding.

A report released by the WA Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Chamber of Minerals and Energy last month suggested WA should pursue lithium refining but avoid trying to compete in the battery-manufacturing industry.

The world's biggest lithium miner has been given approval to build in WA, creating more than one thousand jobs for West Australians.

(The West Australian)

• [Editor:王可]