Called the Future Battery Industries Cooperative Research Center it will be housed at Curtin University in the Western Australian capital city of Perth. The Australian Government will provide $18 million with the funds being used to pay 40 post-graduate students who will work on three primary research projects. The Minister for Science, Karen Andrews, listed the projects as battery industry development, the processing of minerals and metals and materials for batteries, and the development of new battery storage systems. Rare Earth Dispute UnresolvedWhile nickel, lithium and cobalt (which is mined as a nickel by-product) find their way in the battery industry it is another range of specialty metals called rare earths which are making waves in Australia's relationship with Malaysia. ASSOCIATED PRESSIn dispute is what to do with mildly radioactive waste left after the rare earths (such as neodymium and praseodymium) mined in Australia are extracted at a processing facility owned by an Australian company in east Malaysia.

Source: Forbes April 10, 2019 07:41 UTC