Australia and India have entered into a partnership to enhance investment in renewable energy technologies, focusing on solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing, battery development, and critical mineral processing, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced during a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro.
“Our new partnership will boost two-way investment in renewable energy projects like solar PV manufacturing, battery and mineral processing, green hydrogen and green iron,” Albanese said, according to an official transcript.
Australia, which leads the world in per capita rooftop solar installations, will also work with India to train a workforce skilled in deploying household renewable energy systems. “Australia's relationship with India is also vital to regional security and stability,” Albanese added.
Modi highlighted opportunities for collaboration, stating, “We are exploring new cooperation on defence industry, critical minerals, renewable energy, shipbuilding, [and] space.”
As key members of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), which also includes the United States and Japan, the two nations are aligning efforts to counterbalance China's influence in the Indo-Pacific region while addressing global energy and security challenges.
Australia holds substantial reserves of critical minerals like lithium, vanadium, cobalt, and copper, essential for electric vehicle batteries and renewable technologies. However, the Albanese government faces the challenge of diversifying investment to reduce dependence on China, a dominant player in the sector.
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute recently urged closer collaboration among Quad nations and allies like South Korea to address “China's manipulation of the global critical minerals market” through harmonized policies and strategic stockpiling.
