The Queensland Government’s commitment of $570 million in comprehensive battery strategy will fast-track the clean energy transition locally and globally, Queensland Renewable Energy Council Chief Executive Officer Katie-Anne Mulder said.

Ms Mulder said the Queensland Government was to be congratulated for its commitment to a strategy to strengthen the battery storage supply chain from advanced critical minerals, development and commercialisation of battery storage technology.

“Battery storage is critical to the transition to increase firming capacity of our energy systems and the eight actions outlined in the Strategy will ensure Queensland can play a role in the clean energy transition here in Queensland and globally.” she said.

“The focus of the Strategy is to foster government and industry sectors to address market challenges. Just yesterday we saw Queensland company Vecco Group, Idemitsu Australia and Sumitomo Electric Industries announce they had signed a collaboration agreement to build a complete manufacturing vanadium flow battery supply chain in Townsville.”

The Queensland Renewable Energy Council (QREC) is the dedicated representative body for solar, wind, pumped hydro, electricity transmission, battery storage and hydrogen proponents, operators and their suppliers.

Ms Mulder said QREC and its members would work with the Queensland Government on the roll-out of the strategy and maximising the benefit for Queensland development and deployment of battery storage through the funding support committed to in the Strategy.

The new and existing industry support announced by the Queensland Government includes:

  • $275 million to support industry to innovate and commercialise battery technologies, including $105 million in state funding to plan and establish the Australian Battery Industrialisation Centre in partnership with the Australian Government
  • $92.2 million to drive battery investment and supply chain growth, including an $80 million industry grant program
  • $202.5 million to promote and position Queensland as the preferred supplier of advanced materials and batteries to domestic and international markets, including $5m to establish Batteries Queensland, a central point of contact for industry to connect with relevant government agencies and access support

Link to the Strategy: Powering Queensland’s battery industry | State Development and Infrastructure

Link to the Queensland Government’s Ministerial Media Statement: New half-billion-dollar strategy to power Queensland’s battery boom