The global growth in demand for cleaner, greener and more sustainable products presents exciting opportunities – and we’re pleased to see Queensland is seizing them.
As a Queensland manufacturer of recyclable and repairable high-performance batteries, Vaulta welcomes the release of the Queensland New-Industry Development Strategy (QNIDS).
The QNIDS sets out the Queensland Government’s proactive approach to developing the industries that will be in demand in a decarbonising world, and for seizing on the opportunities that will come as the world seeks to reduce emissions.
Vaulta founder and director Dominic Spooner highlights five key takeaways from the Strategy that prove Queensland is on the right path.
Prioritising battery industry development
The QINDS focuses on unlocking opportunities and exploiting Queensland’s competitive advantages in several priority areas, including battery industry development.
The Strategy recognises that batteries and battery manufacturing are becoming increasingly important to the global economy, and that the ability to effectively store energy generated via renewable sources is as important as the generation itself.
The Strategy cites the recent Battery Industry Opportunities for Queensland Discussion Paper – which listed Vaulta amongst a select group of companies with the capabilities required to develop a leading battery industry in Queensland – to support the claim that developing Queensland’s battery industry could generate up to $1.3 billion of economic activity and 9,100 jobs by 2030.
“Vaulta is pleased to see the Queensland Government committing to bringing its industry development levers to bear on high-value battery manufacturing in Queensland,” Dominic says.
The Strategy highlights the Queensland Government’s investment in battery projects across the state through the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan; as well as the establishment of an Australian Made Battery Precinct in Queensland and the establishment of the Queensland Energy and Storage Technologies Hub (QUEST Hub) in Banyo.
“If Queensland aspires to establish its battery cell manufacturing capabilities, then it’s crucial to have local buyers for those cells,” Dominic says. “Vaulta can help to fill that role. We can purchase these locally made cells and demonstrate their effectiveness in our high-performance batteries, reducing our reliance on off-shore buyers and helping to build a world-leading battery ecosystem here in Queensland.”
A circular focus
The QNIDS also commits the Queensland Government to prioritising the circular economy, including resource recovery and recycling.
Driven by the need to reduce landfill and its impacts on the environment, the QNIDS highlights the demand for a more circular approach to material production, use, reuse and disposal.
Queensland’s waste reduction targets for 2050 include 75 per cent recycling rates across all waste types, and for 90 per cent of waste to be recovered instead of going to landfill.
The Strategy is in line with the draft Queensland E-Products Action Plan 2023-2033, which highlights the need for waste to be designed out of e-products. In Queensland, solar PV and battery storage equipment make up 50 per cent (by weight) of the e-products entering the state each year.
“Vaulta has always understood the importance of the circular economy,” Dominic says. “That’s why Vaulta’s no-weld design preserves the structural integrity of battery cells – so they can be reused, recycled and reconfigured as needed, rather than being dumped into landfill.
“We’re working towards a more sustainable future, where resources are utilised efficiently, waste is minimised, and environmental impact is reduced.”
A commitment to local content
The Strategy highlights the need to drive local business participation in critical supply chains.
It emphasises the government’s commitment – through the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan – to investing in battery projects across the state that maximise local content, in line with the Queensland Charter for Local Content.
And it commits the Queensland Government to establishing a Local Economic Opportunities Network (LEO), to work with communities across the state to identify the economic opportunities that come with decarbonisation.
“The Strategy aligns with Vaulta’s commitment to local content,” Dominic says. “We design, assemble and test our batteries at our manufacturing facility in Brisbane.
“For us, being ‘local’ isn’t about local brands using off-shore content – it means manufacturing everything we can right here in Queensland, to support local suppliers and promote sustainable economic growth.”
Creating jobs
The QNIDS has a clear focus on job creation. The priority industries have been chosen because they’re the ones that will create ‘good jobs for Queenslanders’, and the Strategy commits the Queensland Government to working with industry, universities and regional communities to ensure decarbonisation delivers jobs and opportunities across the state.
This includes deploying the $5.84 billion Queensland Jobs Fund, which brings together the Queensland Government’s flagship industry development programs – including the Queensland Renewable Energy and Hydrogen Jobs Fuind, the Invested in Queensland program and the Industry Partnership Program – to generate investment and create jobs.
“At Vaulta, we wholeheartedly support the government’s emphasis on job creation,” Dominic says. “Since January, we’ve added six new staff members to our team, and we’re further contributing to the growth of the Queensland renewable industry through our local supply chain.”
Setting a course to 2032
Finally, the Strategy recognises that Queensland will be in the global spotlight before, during and after the 2032 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in Brisbane. These are set to be the first ‘climate positive’ Games, with commitments in place to manage and mitigate the impact of the event.
The Strategy highlights the opportunity the Games present to develop infrastructure that effectively utilises renewable energy, and to drive growth in the use of recycled products, ensuring that materials used for the Games can be recycled at the end of their life.
“The Queensland Government’s focus on renewable energy and waste reduction in the lead-up to the Olympics aligns perfectly with our vision for a circular economy at Vaulta,” Dominic says.
“Brisbane 2032 is a chance for Queensland to show the world a more sustainable way of staging Olympic and Paralympic events. But we need to act now to put efficient, sustainable and decarbonised supply chains in place, and we need to have a plan for all of the materials that will be used, so we’re not dumping equipment into landfill after the rest of the world has gone home.
“We’ve got big plans for Queensland, and this Strategy gives us faith that the government does, too. We’re excited to be part of this transformative journey for the state.”
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