Australia, Indonesia, and the Philippines: Potential Powerhouses in Battery Supply Chain

The CEO of Philippine energy firm ACEN has proposed a strategic collaboration between Australia, Indonesia, and the Philippines to establish a regional battery supply chain. Speaking at an Australia-ASEAN summit in Melbourne, Eric Francia highlighted the current concentration of lithium battery production in China, which accounts for over 70% of global output. He emphasized the potential for Australia, the world's leading lithium producer, along with Indonesia and the Philippines, the top nickel suppliers, to leverage their resources and expertise to meet the growing demand for battery storage systems in the region.

Francia suggested that opportunities for electric vehicle batteries could be most promising in Thailand, while Indonesia could emerge as a key player in large-scale battery production, especially as the country advances its solar power capacity to achieve a greener energy mix.