The green tech supply chains that could deliver $215 billion boost to Australia
Building Australian supply chains for the manufacture of solar, wind, batteries, heat pumps and commercial EVs could deliver $215bn of benefits in just a decade.
The Make It Here report by the think tank Beyond Zero Emissions (BZE) estimates this is the sort of economic return Australia could get from its own raw minerals reserves if it can move beyond the current dig and ship model and start processing, manufacturing and recycling onshore.
BZE says this would require structured financial support, the development of cleantech manufacturing hubs, recycling for new energy devices, and ensuring demand for locally-made cleantech.
BZE says financial support should be in the form of production credits which tail off over time, bridging the gap between local and lower-cost overseas manufacturing as well as giving certainty to investors.
The amount of waste from end-of-life equipment means recycling is a major opportunity – which can then feed into a level of local manufacturing.
The largest and most immediate opportunities are in regional clean industrial precincts like those in Townsville, Gladstone, Tamworth and Portland.
This would leverage the industrial workforce and access to land, existing infrastructure and proximity to renewable energy zones.