Building a battery supply chain that lasts: Lessons from Altech

Martin Stein, CFO of Altech Batteries (ASX:ATC), highlights the sustainability issues surrounding lithium-ion batteries, including supply chain vulnerabilities, environmental concerns and ethical challenges. He points to China’s dominance in graphite supply and the ethical issues surrounding cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo as major risks. In contrast, Altech’s sodium-chloride battery technology relies on abundant and easily sourced materials, such as common table salt and recycled nickel, reducing dependency on mining. The technology is also rated “dark green” by Standard & Poor’s for its environmental credentials, with 98.5% of materials being recyclable. Martin underscores that large-scale battery storage is essential for achieving global net-zero targets, making sustainable solutions crucial for the renewable energy transition.