Western Australia has the potential to play a lead role in decarbonising the world’s economies – as a reliable, ethical and cost effective supplier of battery and critical minerals, and clean energy technologies.

To capitalise on this potential, the WA Government is working to attract new investment and establish strategic relationships with key international partners.

The WA Government outlines opportunities for investment across the State’s battery and critical mineral value chains in its new prospectus - Western Australia: A Global Battery and Critical Minerals Hub.

Western Australia is already a leading supplier of battery and critical minerals. The State accounts for around half of global lithium production and is a major exporter of nickel, cobalt, manganese and rare earths.

These minerals are essential to a range of clean energy technologies, including rechargeable batteries, electric vehicles and wind turbines.

Since the mid-2010s, Western Australia has attracted more than $9 billion of investment for a range of battery and critical mineral projects, including the establishment of globally significant mineral processing facilities.

Operated by some of the world’s top resources companies, these advanced processing facilities provide a strong foundation for more investment in the State’s battery and critical minerals value chain, including in manufacturing of cathode active materials.

The WA Government has committed $13.2 million to facilitate global investment in precursor cathode active manufacturing in Western Australia.

The prospectus was developed in consultation with the Future Battery and Critical Minerals Industries Ministerial Taskforce.

Setup to actively explore local and global opportunities to grow the industries in Western Australia, the taskforce includes leaders from the state’s battery and critical minerals industries, industry bodies and union groups.

Promoting investment opportunities across the battery and critical minerals value chains is a priority of the WA Government’s Future Battery and Critical Minerals Industries Strategy.

Launched in 2019, the Future Battery and Critical Minerals Industries Strategy outlines the WA Government’s vision that by 2025, the State has a world leading, sustainable, value-adding future battery industry that provides local jobs, contributes to skill development and economic diversification, and benefits regional communities.

Published on: 22 June 2022