The Queensland Government‘s aim to make the State the nation’s battery industry leader will move forward as worldwide demand for new energy storage grows.
Acting Premier Steven Miles was in Maryborough today to launch a discussion paper on the battery industry.
The Palaszczuk Government’s Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan include $500 million for purchasing additional large-scale and community batteries.
“New battery storage will play a key role in Queelsnad’s renewable energy revolution,” Acting Premier Miles said.
According to Acting Premier Miles, the demand for the technology was expected to grow over tenfold by 2030.
“The Government is launching a discussion paper to assess how Queensland can become a leader in this space and build a dynamic battery value chain leveraging our existing strengths,” Acting Premier Miles stated.
He added that the future of energy supply would look considerably different in the following decades, and Queensland wants to be at the forefront of this change.
“Be it pumped hydro storage, new solar and wind farms or the electricity Super Grid, this government is supporting Queensland’s energy transformation,” Acting Premier Miles said.
He stated that the $62 billion Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan lays the groundwork for the State to become a clean energy powerhouse, to attain 70 per cent renewables by 2032.
“Our plan includes $500 million for Queensland’s publicly owned energy businesses to invest in battery projects across the state that maximise local content for more large-scale and community batteries,” he said.
Acting Premier Miles added, “This will support deployment of network batteries of different scales to provide additional energy storage to store excess rooftop solar and improve network resilience.”
According to Assistant Minister for Regional Roads and Member for Maryborough Bruce Saunders, the Wide Bay region has one of the highest solar adoption rates in the country, if not the globe.
“Investing in new battery storage means that more Queenslanders will benefit from the abundant solar energy in the system and there will be more opportunities for local manufacturing,” Saunders said.
Saunders stated that collaboration with industry to increase battery storage capacity is also essential for fulfilling Queensland’s renewable energy ambitions.
“Cementing the state’s role in domestic and international battery supply chains will accelerate industry growth, drive new investment and deliver jobs of the future,” Saunders added.
Energy Storage Industries — Asia Pacific (ESI) Managing Director Stuart Parry applauded the State Government for its leadership.
“Queensland is at the forefront of battery technology development and the Battery Strategy Discussion Paper will reinforce the state’s position as a leader in the renewable energy economy,” Parry said.
Parry stated that long-duration, large-scale batteries are a key component of the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan, and ESI is already working hard to supply iron-flow batteries built in Maryborough by Queenslanders that will capture surplus energy and return it to the grid during peak times, when it is most required.
“We look forward to working with the Palaszczuk Government to deliver on the promise of our leading-edge technology, which is critical to supplying Queensland’s long-term low-carbon energy needs and creating jobs in this exciting new industry,” Parry said.
The Battery Industry Opportunities for Queensland discussion paper, which was launched today, allows stakeholders to help design the state’s future battery industry.
According to Acting Premier Miles, the State Government intends to promote Queensland as a hub for battery innovation.
“That is why we are working on a comprehensive strategy to leverage Queensland’s critical minerals and mining expertise and manufacturing strengths,” Acting Premier Miles said.
Acting Premier Miles stated that Queensland is in an excellent position to capitalise on this potential, and they want to hear from industry experts about how the Government can collaborate to make it a reality.
Feedback from the sector will be used to help shape the Queensland Battery Industry Strategy, which is set to be released in mid-2023.
The final plan, which is a crucial component of the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan and the Queensland Resources Industry Development Plan, will concentrate on how to take Queensland’s critical minerals further up the value chain.
This includes improving the State’s capabilities in refining, advanced battery material production, cell manufacturing, pack assembly, installation, and recycling.
The discussion paper will be open for feedback from stakeholders through 31 March 2023.
