BZE welcomes new battery projects

Beyond Zero Emissions (BZE) welcomes the Federal Government’s announcement of nearly 1GW’s worth of new energy storage that six new battery projects, located in Victoria and South Australia, will bring to the nation. 

BZE research shows that the growth of a battery supply chain in Australia will create 20,000 jobs, and generate $114 billion in revenue by 2035.

BZE CEO Heidi Lee said “On a recent visit to the Latrobe Valley, our team found that the region is experiencing remarkable progress, as Minister Bowen outlined yesterday. Australia’s energy transformation is well underway, and areas like the Latrobe Valley are critical to this shift, not only hosting large-scale renewable projects but also becoming hubs for innovation and supplying the clean technologies needed to decarbonise homes, businesses, and factories.”

Ms Lee continued “These regions are at the heart of our energy transition and can become Clean Industry Hubs with the right support. By leveraging economies of scale and shared infrastructure, they provide the most efficient pathway to rapidly reduce emissions and safeguard Australia’s future.” 

“This approach not only upgrades services and delivers real benefits to the communities most impacted by the energy transition, but our modelling shows that it can lead to a four-fold increase in private investment. This isn’t just about isolated projects; we need long-term, coordinated investment that builds on the manufacturing legacy of these regions.”

Using local cleantech manufacturers to supply parts for building new battery projects, will provide demand certainty for these businesses and certainty for investors, while also delivering jobs and growth in the domestic sector. 

BZE’s research also recommends that local content incentives are included in government contracts and schemes, to provide demand certainty for Australian-made cleantech, and to keep more of the benefits of the Capacity Investment Scheme circulating in our communities. 

Ms Lee said “National coordination to grow Clean Industry Hubs will give businesses the confidence to move ahead. This is crucial for locking in long-term economic prosperity for Australia, creating good quality jobs, revitalising our regional economies and keeping them going as the industrial powerhouses of the nation.”

BZE is an independent think tank that provides solutions that accelerate Australia towards a prosperous and zero-emissions future.

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Contact:

Michelle Lee, Communications Coordinator

0432 398 850 or michelle.lee@bze.org.au