<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/time-to-come-back-zhengrong-shis-sunman-unveils-plans-to-make-flexible-solar-panels-in-australia/>
"Dr Zhengrong Shi, the solar PV pioneer once dubbed the “sun king” and who
became the solar industry’s first billionaire through his company Suntech, has
unveiled plans to build a big manufacturing centre in Australia to make his
Sunman flexible solar panels.
Dr Shi first unveiled the Sunman flexible solar panels in 2017, and the company
now has two large manufacturing facilities – a 1 GW facility in China unveiled
in 2022, and a smaller 500 MW facility that is under construction in Indiana in
the US.
Sunman, through its local subsidiary Energus, is now looking to build a 500 MW
manufacturing facility in Newcastle, NSW – the world’s largest coal port – and
hopes to tap into the federal government’s Solar Sunshot and Future Made in
Australia programs to support it.
Australian universities have led the world in the development of solar PV
technologies, and trained many of its leading scientists and engineers, but it
is China that now dominates the world’s solar PV manufacturing industry because
of its ability to build at scale and lower cost.
“We went to China to build first company Suntech, and there were many comments
about why Australia didn’t support Dr Shi and let him go to China,” Dr Shi told
Renew Economy in an interview.
“Perhaps it was too early to do it here. But I think now it is time to come
back and build this.”
Australia is looking to reduce its dependence on what amounts to a single
supplier, and create its own supply chain under the Solar Sunshot and Future
Made in Australia initiatives.
A number of other proposals are already emerging, including Quinbrook’s planned
silicon plant in north Queensland, the potential of SunDrive to build its
unique solar PV technology that replaces silver with copper, and the expansion
of local players such as Tindo Solar and 5B."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
