Senior diplomatic and trade delegations will descend on Perth this week to debate the complex dynamics of the global critical minerals supply chain with Australian miners, developers and investors at Paydirt’s 2023 Battery Minerals Conference.
Confirmed delegations for the two-day event – to be held at the Pan Pacific Perth on Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22 March – include ministerial delegations from Indonesia and Brazil, a strong trade delegation from the UK and senior diplomatic representatives from the US, Japan, Sweden, Norway, Vietnam and Malaysia, reflecting the maturing position of Western Australia in the world’s low-carbon transformation plans, both for Australia but also our allies in the region and further afield.
The battery minerals opportunity is no longer a set of ambitious projections sprawled across aspirant company presentations, but a reality being progressed globally by generators, downstream processors, manufacturers and end users – driven by government policy aligned to net-zero emissions targets by 2050, if not before.
Paydirt Executive Chairman Bill Repard said Western Australia had the essential ingredients to deliver on the Industrial Revolution 4.0.
“The lithium value chain alone will be a $1.3 trillion sector by 2025, while demand for nickel, graphite, cobalt, copper, manganese, tin, vanadium and rare earths is expected to more than double by 2030 as the world transitions to a low-carbon economy,” Mr Repard said.
“At the government level, Australian federal and state governments are rolling out new policies designed to entice local and international investors to build mines and a new downstream processing industry.
“On the international front, governments and major car manufacturers are building their own supply chain strategies with Australian companies within their sights.
“This international flavour is reflected in the fact we will host senior government delegations from the United Kingdom, United States, Indonesia, Brazil and Ghana during the event as well as representaives from Japan, Sweden, Norway, Vietnam and Malaysia.”
US representative Michael Sullivan will speak at the Battery Minerals Conference’s business breakfast about the Biden Government’s approach through the IRA and other budget programs to support domestic critical minerals supply chains and how Australian companies may benefit from that.
Newly appointed UK consul-general to WA, Tina Redshaw will also speak about the Sunak Government’s plans for engagement on critical minerals and Western Australia’s Agent-General for the UK and Europe, John Langolaut, will discuss the State Government’s work on establishing partnerships to define its own position in the global supply chain.
Paydirt’s 2023 Battery Minerals Conference will hear from more than 50 presenters across the two days, welcome more than 600 delegates and feature more than 70 exhibitors.
