Battery taskforce powers up to supercharge WA lithium potential – by Stuart McKinnon (The West Australian – May 24, 2018)

https://thewest.com.au/

A taskforce to investigate how WA can cash in on a “once-in-a-generation” lithium and battery minerals boom will make recommendations to the State Government within six months.

Announcing the taskforce in Maylands in front of two Tesla demonstration Model X electric cars yesterday, Mines Minister Bill Johnston said the downstream processing of lithium and other battery minerals in WA could create thousands of highly skilled, high-paying jobs.

He said the taskforce, consisting of senior government representatives, would engage with companies operating in the sector and take advice from an industry reference group.

It would present a list of recommendations to the State Government in November as to how WA could best capture the lithium-ion battery opportunity. A strategy would also be developed to position WA as a world leader in new energy materials.

Mr Johnston noted the State Government had already committed $5.5 million to the Minerals Research Institute of WA to secure a Co-operative Research Centre for New Energy Industry in WA. CRCs are a Federal Government-backed program aimed at linking researchers with industry to generate commercial opportunities.

For the rest of this article: https://thewest.com.au/business/mining/battery-taskforce-powers-up-to-supercharge-wa-lithium-potential-ng-b88845666z