The Australian Government is pushing ahead with plans to develop domestic battery manufacturing capabilities to ensure that families and businesses have access to affordable and dependable renewable energy in the future.
Minister for Science and Industry Ed Husic stated that the CSIRO Renewable Energy Storage Roadmap demonstrates that significant investment in storage technology is required to fulfil the growing demand for cheaper renewable energy.
According to Minister Husic, large-scale battery storage and battery manufacturing adoption will be critical to the country’s transition to net zero energy and Australia’s position as a world leader in renewable energy.
“The Government recognises the pivotal role that cheap, widely available energy storage will need to play in the transition to renewable power. That’s why the Government is delivering the Australian Made Battery Plan, spearheaded by the development of Australia’s first National Battery Strategy,” Minister Husic said.
The Minister added that the Future Battery Industries Cooperative Research Centre’s Charging Ahead report estimates that by 2030, the battery manufacturing sector could be worth close to $17 billion and generate over 61,000 jobs.
“As the CSIRO roadmap emphasises, we need a pipeline of projects using diverse technologies to unlock the full potential of our renewable energy resources. That means there’s a huge opportunity for new systems and technologies to be developed here to manage the production, storage and use of renewable energy,” he said.
According to Minister Husic, the private sector is eager to invest in innovative storage projects, and the government is collaborating with states and territories to develop the National Battery Strategy.
In welcoming the CSIRO roadmap, Minister Husic said, “this report is a great example of the sort of work the CSIRO should be undertaking – harnessing Australia’s science and research capabilities to tackle major national challenges and grow new industries”.
The Federal Government stated that it is implementing several measures to provide cheaper renewable energy to families and businesses and meet Australia’s international emissions responsibilities.
This includes achieving 82% renewables in Australia’s energy grid by 2030, which will be accomplished through the $20 billion Rewiring the Nation Fund and unleashing roughly $10 billion in investment in clean dispatchable electricity under the Capacity Investment Scheme.
The Government is establishing a Powering Australia Industry Growth Centre to provide businesses with the expertise and technology required to manufacture renewable energy technologies such as batteries in Australia.
