Australia Backs Homegrown Panel Production with $45 Million Push

Australia’s solar manufacturing sector is poised for a significant leap, as the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) today announced over $45 million in funding to accelerate domestic solar panel production and explore upstream manufacturing capabilities.

The support is part of the Federal Government’s $1 billion Solar Sunshot Program, which aims to establish a robust, homegrown solar manufacturing ecosystem. 

Tindo Solar to Scale Up Production

The largest share, $34.5 million, has been awarded to Tindo Solar, Australia’s only solar module manufacturer. The funding will allow Tindo to upgrade its Mawson Lakes facility in South Australia, increasing production capacity from 20 MW to 180 MW annually. The expansion will also introduce advanced automation and enable the company to manufacture premium N-type solar modules.

The project includes a feasibility study for a future gigafactory capable of producing 1 GW of solar panels annually.

ARENA CEO Darren Miller highlighted the importance of scaling up domestic manufacturing to meet long-term energy goals, “Australia needs to install hundreds of millions of solar panels to hit our 2050 net-zero targets. There is an opportunity to make a portion of these here, and today’s announcement marks a significant step.”

The facility upgrade is expected to create over 50 direct jobs, with additional benefits to local suppliers. Tindo also plans to launch a recruitment and training program to equip workers with solar PV manufacturing skills. The proposed gigafactory could employ up to 230 more workers, with half trained specifically for solar roles.

Tindo CEO Richard Petterson called the funding “strategic and targeted,” adding, “This support will help us scale to a cost-effective model while continuing to deliver the high-quality panels Australia is known for.”

$11 Million for Upstream Manufacturing Feasibility Studies

ARENA also announced $11 million in funding to support feasibility studies into upstream components of solar manufacturing, particularly polysilicon, ingots, and wafers.

The fundings include a $5 million push to Solquartz for its Townsville Green Polysilicon Feasibility Study into a 100,000 tpa low-emission, solar-grade polysilicon production facility close to Townsville, Queensland. Energus is being provided with $1.3 million for a 50,000 tpa polysilicon plant study at AGL’s Hunter Energy Hub. Similarly, Stellar PV is being supported too with $4.7 million for a 2 GW ingot pulling and wafering facility study, also near Townsville.

These studies aim to unlock Australia’s potential to become a key player in upstream solar manufacturing, tapping into its abundant raw materials and strategic geographic position, ARENA notes.

About Solar Sunshot

The Solar Sunshot Program, administered by ARENA, is a cornerstone of the government's "Future Made in Australia" initiative, aiming to establish diverse, resilient, and secure solar supply chains, ARENA said.

The program is being implemented in three rounds. Round 1A, now closed, offered $500 million in capital and production-linked funding. Round 1B is currently open and is offering $50 million for feasibility and engineering studies. Round 2 is yet to begin and is currently in design. Round 2 is expected to launch in August 2025.