Sunman Group to Build Australia’s Largest Solar Module Factory in Hunter Valley

The Sunman Group, founded by solar pioneer and University of New South Wales alumnus Zhengrong Shi, has unveiled plans to establish Australia’s largest solar module manufacturing facility in the Hunter Valley. The project has secured AUD 171 million (USD 111.9 million) in combined federal and state government funding, marking one of the country’s biggest commitments to domestic solar production to date.

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) will provide up to AUD 151 million in conditional funding through the federal government’s AUD 1 billion Solar Sunshot program, while the New South Wales government will contribute an additional AUD 20 million in support.

Hunter Valley Solar Foundry

The new manufacturing facility, titled the Hunter Valley Solar Foundry, will be located at Black Hill near Maitland. It will initially produce 300 MW of solar modules per year, with plans to ramp up to 500 MW once fully operational. 

Drawing on Sunman’s proprietary lightweight solar technologies, the plant will supply modules for both Australian and international markets.

“Once established, the Hunter Valley Solar Foundry will be the largest manufacturer of solar photovoltaic modules in Australia, and the only one in New South Wales,” said Sunman Group founder Zhengrong Shi. “It will deliver world-leading products to residential, commercial, and utility customers across the country.”

Strengthening Australia’s Solar Supply Chain

The Hunter Valley Solar Foundry is expected to produce a range of solar products, including Sunman’s proprietary enhanced Architecture Ready Composite (eArc) modules. 

These glass-free panels are made with durable polymers, making them 70 percent lighter than conventional glass panels.

In addition to eArc modules, the factory will also produce conventional glass solar panels and host a solar innovation hub focused on advancing new photovoltaic technologies. The foundry will provide production capacity for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

Australia’s Growing Solar Manufacturing Landscape

Currently, Adelaide-based Tindo Solar remains the only producer of Australian-made solar panels, manufacturing at its Mawson Lakes facility in South Australia. Tindo is expanding its annual production capacity from 20 MW to 180 MW and exploring plans for a gigawatt-scale plant. The entry of Sunman’s Hunter Valley facility more than doubles the nation’s current manufacturing output.

Earlier this year, Sunman subsidiary Energus received AUD 1.3 million through the Solar Sunshot program for a feasibility study into establishing a 50,000 tonne per year (tpa) solar-grade polysilicon plant in the Hunter Valley. The study aims to evaluate the technical and commercial potential of producing high-purity polysilicon domestically.