Tindo Solar among beneficiaries of extra $45.5m Solar Sunshot
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The news: Solar module manufacturer Tindo Solar has secured funding through the federal government’s billion dollar Solar Sunshot Program to scale up domestic production.
Feasibility studies for the manufacture of upstream solar panel inputs, to be completed by Solquartz, Energus and Stellar PV, have also been funded.
The numbers: Tindo Solar has received $34.5 million to upgrade its Mawson Lakes solar module manufacturing facility in Adelaide, scaling annual output from 20 megawatts to 180 megawatts.
This will include production of “premium N-type solar modules”, according to the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and a ‘gigafactory’ feasibility study.
Solquartz has been awarded $5 million, Energus has been awarded $1.3 million and Stellar PV has been awarded $4.7 million.
The context: Part of the Tindo Solar funding will be delivered through a manufacturing production credit. The remainder will be delivered as a capital grant, which includes funding for a feasibility study regarding a proposed ‘gigafactory’ that would have an annual production capacity of 1 gigawatt.
The other three feasibility studies target the production of key inputs for the production of solar panel components.
Solquartz is looking into establishing a 100,000 tonnes per annum low-emissions polysilicon production facility close to Townsville while Energus is considering a 50,000 tonnes per annum facility at AGL’s Hunter Energy Hub.
Stellar PV’s feasibility study will consider a 2 gigawatt production facility for low-emissions polysilicon ingot pulling and wafering facility close to Townsville.
In May, the federal government announced solar panel deployment system manufacturer 5B was the first to be awarded funding under the ARENA-administered Solar Sunshot program.
What they said: “As the only homegrown solar module manufacturer, Tindo brings unmatched local expertise to the table,” ARENA CEO Darren Miller said.
The source: ARENA media release
