Tindo Solar Secures $34.5 Million for Major Production Expansion in Australia
Australia’s sole solar panel manufacturer, Tindo Solar, has received significant federal government support to dramatically increase its production capacity from 20 megawatts (MW) annually to 180 MW. This funding comes as part of the latest Solar Sunshot initiative aimed at exploring the potential for a future gigawatt-scale manufacturing facility.
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) announced on Wednesday that Tindo Solar has been granted $34.5 million to upgrade and enhance production at its Mawson Lakes factory in South Australia, as well as to broaden its product offerings to include high-quality N-type solar modules.
Funding Breakdown and Future Plans
The Solar Sunshot funding comprises a Manufacturing Production Credit (MPC) and a capital grant, which will also facilitate a feasibility study for a prospective Gigafactory capable of producing up to 1 gigawatt (GW) of solar modules each year. Tindo’s funding is part of a larger $45.5 million allocation from the Albanese government’s $1 billion Solar Sunshot Program, which also includes an additional $11 million earmarked for feasibility studies in upstream solar manufacturing.
Of the $11 million, Stellar PV has been awarded $4.7 million to investigate the establishment of a 2 GW low-emissions polysilicon ingot pulling and wafering facility near Townsville, Queensland. Meanwhile, Solquartz received $5 million for its feasibility study into a 100,000 tonnes per annum low-emission, solar-grade polysilicon production facility, also in Townsville. In New South Wales, Energus has been granted $1.3 million for a feasibility study for a similar facility at AGL’s Hunter Energy Hub.
Tindo’s Expansion and Job Creation
Tindo Solar has stated that the $34.5 million funding is vital for its expansion strategy, which is expected to create 50 new jobs and several traineeships at the upgraded Mawson Lakes factory, where the company currently employs around 70 staff members. Tindo CEO Richard Petterson expressed enthusiasm about ARENA’s backing, highlighting that it would enable the company to significantly grow its workforce and enhance its competitive edge in the Australian market.
Petterson noted, “We manufacture premium solar panels, which has allowed us to capture a niche in the Australian solar market, but the production credit opens up a broader market for Tindo. The support from Solar Sunshot will allow us to reduce our prices while maintaining quality, effectively quadrupling our addressable market and making Tindo solar panels accessible to more consumers.”
Local Expertise and Future Goals
ARENA chief Darren Miller praised Tindo as Australia’s only domestic solar module manufacturer, stating that the company brings unparalleled local expertise to the Solar Sunshot programme. He emphasised the need for Australia to install millions of solar panels in the coming decades to meet its 2050 emissions targets and realise its ambition of becoming a renewable energy superpower.
Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen, who has Tindo panels installed on his own rooftop, attended the announcement at the Mawson Lakes factory. He remarked, “This will enable Tindo to meet around 10 per cent of our domestic demand. We will collaborate with Tindo through the Solar Sunshot Program Production Credit to ensure their success is recognised.” Bowen also mentioned plans to support Tindo in the next phase, which involves funding a feasibility study for a gigafactory dedicated to solar panel production in Australia.
Future Collaborations and Innovations
Founded in South Australia in 2011, Tindo Solar previously announced ambitions to establish a solar panel gigafactory, claiming it could achieve this with an investment of $90-100 million within two years, provided it receives adequate federal support. Beyond the Solar Sunshot grant, Petterson indicated that the company would also seek funding from the $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund aimed at bolstering manufacturing capacity in the renewable energy sector.
In June, Tindo secured an $8.4 million deal with Thanh Do Australia, the local arm of Vietnam’s Thanh Do Construction Group, to supply 15 MW of high-quality solar panels for large-scale projects in Vietnam. Additionally, last month, Tindo partnered with researchers from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) to investigate the development of TOPCon solar cells, which are anticipated to enhance module efficiency significantly.
TOPCon, or tunnel oxide passivated contact, was pioneered in the early 1980s by Professor Martin Green at UNSW and has demonstrated a power conversion efficiency of approximately 27 per cent in laboratory tests, surpassing the 25 per cent limit of current PERC (passivated emitter and rear cell) solar cells. This research agreement, supported by the Trailblazer for Recycling and Clean Energy (TRaCE) programme, aims to combine Tindo’s manufacturing expertise with UNSW’s advanced research capabilities to bring TOPCon cells to market.
