IESA, FBICRC to create supply chain ecosystem for batteries in India

IESA and FBICRC collaborates on strategic initiatives that offer potential benefits to battery industries in Australia and India, its development & integration and Australian and India battery value chains.

India Energy Storage Alliance, India’s leading industry alliance focused on  accelerating adoption of energy storage, e-mobility, green hydrogen & microgrids in India signed a  Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Australian Future Battery Industries Cooperative  Research Centre (FBICRC) that will focus on raw materials, supply chain for advanced battery manufacturing in India, its development & integration and Australian and India battery value chains.

The MoU was signed by Debi Prasad Dash, Executive Director, India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) and  Shannon O’Rourke, CEO, Australian Future Battery Industries Cooperative Research Centre (FBICRC)  in the presence of Hon. Roger Cook, Deputy Premier, Western Australia among other representatives from Western Australia and companies working on energy storage, battery supply chain and raw  materials.

Roger Cook, Deputy Premier, Western Australia said- “This MoU will be a milestone for the new  partnership between Australia and India in critical minerals specific to energy storage and battery  minerals.”

He also mentioned How Western Australia has a huge reserve of lithium minerals which will help  India’s ambitious plans for energy storage manufacturing.

Shannon O’Rourke, CEO, Australian Future Battery Industries Cooperative Research Centre (FBICRC) said, “By 2040, IEA forecasts India to be one of the largest battery energy storage markets, Australia is  the largest critical mineral producer. This collaboration will enable closer ties for global battery  manufacturing.”

Commenting on the partnership, Debi Prasad Dash, Executive Director, India Energy Storage Alliance  (IESA) said- “Western Australia has a very good reach in critical minerals including lithium-ion and  others. As the Indian government is now focusing on giga factories in India, IESA expects 6-8 giga factories  to come up in the next 3- 5 years. For this giga factories lithium, cobalt and other raw materials are  required to set up the factories. There are more than 20-30 companies as part of IESA’s India Battery  Supply Chain Council who are interested in chemical processing and mineral refining to support  these giga factories.”

“IESA is closely working with the Ministry of Mines, Khanij Bidesh India Ltd (KABIL) and industry  counterparts for the import of raw materials and developing this process industry in India. This  partnership between India and Western Australia will definitely help in procuring lithium hydroxide

The MoU between IESA and FBICRC will remain in effect for a period of 3-years from the date of  signing.