AustralianSuper, the nation’s largest industry superannuation fund, will more than double its investments in lithium over the next three years to cash in on the energy transition and new trade routes forged by the US-China trade war.

The $315 billion AusSuper is also poised to deploy more capital in critical minerals over the next five years through investments in Australia, Africa, and North and South America, senior portfolio manager Luke Smith told The Australian Financial Review. It represents the largest bet on lithium alone by a pension fund investor.