Will lithium-ion always dominate battery tech? And, can Australia’s critical mineral economy keep up?

If the batteries of tomorrow aren’t as lithium-dependent as they are today, can Australia still become the ‘critical minerals superpower’ it hopes to be as countries across the global electrification race take off? That’s the question Rusty and Nadine are on a mission to answer. To help them on their quest, they enlist the help of Dr. Veronika Wright, or as she’s better known - Electrified Veronika. With a flair for electrical engineering and physics, Veronika dissects lithium-ion mechanics while challenging the viability of solid-state batteries, hailed as the next frontier in energy storage. Peter Newman, Professor of Sustainability at Curtin University and for the past 5 years the Lead Author for Transport in the IPCC (the UN’s climate change body), joins later in the show to discuss the national and global implications for a lithium-ion economy. He sheds light on Australia's mining industry manoeuvres, propelling the nation beyond its 'exporter' label and toward 'innovator' status. With value-added strategies upstream in the lithium supply chain, Newman envisions local economic revitalisation and Australia's ascent as the beacon of green exporters in critical minerals.

 

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