PVTIME – China’s Sunman Group has announced plans to establish Australia’s largest solar panel manufacturing facility in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales, securing A$171 million in combined funding from the federal and state governments. This includes A$151 million in conditional funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) via the federal government’s A$1 billion Solar Sunshot Programme, as well as A$20 million in matching funds from the New South Wales government.
ARENA CEO Darren Miller said that the programme aims to establish a domestic solar supply chain, with Sunman’s project representing a pivotal step. The Hunter Valley plant will initially have an annual capacity of 300MW, which will scale up to 500MW, and it will be New South Wales’ first solar panel manufacturing facility.
A Sunman Group representative, Mr Shi, revealed that the factory will produce glass-based panels and the company’s proprietary enhanced Architectural Composite eArc modules. These modules use polymers instead of glass, reducing weight by 70%, and offer flexible forming for diverse applications, such as buildings and carports. Over 100MW of these modules have already been installed globally.
Mr Miller noted that the Australian Energy Market Operator forecasts that solar will account for 50% of the nation’s electricity supply by 2050, making domestic manufacturing critical for energy security. In line with the Solar Sunshot Program’s objective of fostering a comprehensive solar value chain, Sunman’s facility will expedite Australia’s transition from a leading solar adopter to a manufacturing hub, having already invested over A$830 million in 233 solar projects to date.
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