SYDNEY, July 19 (Xinhua) -- The push for an extensive battery technology industry in Western Australia (WA) has gained momentum with a lithium industry consortium taking place on Thursday to discuss how best to manage the state's output, and service the growing global demand for lithium batteries.
"We wanted to make sure we had a wide cross section of industry in WA come together to give us their views about what's important to consider," consortium chair and WA Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Johnston told Xinhua.
"We're very excited to see three companies either making investment decisions or being close to investment decisions on lithium processing."
Chinese company, Tianqi, is building the world's largest lithium processing plant in Kwinana, WA, worth 519.69 million U.S. dollars.
"WA is already the largest source of lithium in the world, that will make us the largest source of lithium hydroxide in the world," Johnston said.
Also at the consortium was Professor Campbell Newman from WA's Curtin University who told Xinhua that he sees this as the first step towards the state's role as a producer of battery technology at all levels of the value chain.
Newman recently co-authored a report which called for a Lithium Valley in WA, similar to Silicon Valley in the United States.
"The first step is to at least process the minerals into high quality products," Newman said. "then you want to attract the battery manufacturers."
"That's a next step and a harder one."
There's about 30 necessary battery elements and WA is the only place in the world to have them all, which Newman thinks could set Australia apart.
The demand for lithium is expected to dramatically increase as the world moves away from fossil fuels and electric cars become increasingly prevalent.
"There are major trends happening because the world is very quickly shifting towards solar batteries and electric vehicles," Newman said.
"The world needs us and we can create Lithium Valley to service this need."