Australia and Germany are joining forces to support a joint study aimed at creating new opportunities for critical minerals projects in Australia and Germany, expanding on the current knowledge of critical minerals and developing global critical minerals industry connections.
Federal Minister for Resources and Northern Australia, Madeleine King, signed a joint Declaration of Intent with the Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, Dr Franziska Brantner.
The Declaration will support a joint study to help Australia meet its ambitions to develop value-added industries around critical minerals, from extraction, refinement and recycling, and to help Germany secure reliable supplies of critical minerals to underpin its manufacturing and recycling activities.
“Both Australia and Germany recognise the important opportunity we have to build diverse, resilient and sustainable critical minerals value chains,” Ms King said.
“Australia has vast reserves of critical minerals, which are essential components for clean-energy technologies such as electric vehicles, batteries, solar panels and wind turbines.
“Both countries have complementary climate, energy and strategic ambitions. The Declaration of Intent with Germany will help us understand which critical minerals are most important to support Germany’s industries and how Australia can be a partner of choice in meeting these needs.”
Ms King will release Australia’s new Critical Minerals Strategy in late 2023, which will help grow the sector and reflect the important role critical minerals can play in Australia’s commitment to net zero emissions by 2050.