Tindo today announced a new partnership with Capral Aluminium, which will see the aluminium company provide extruded frames for Australia-made solar panels, with the potential for new onshore aluminium manufacturing to support Tindo’s proposed Gigafactory.

Tindo, Australia’s only maker of solar panels, has ordered its first consignment of aluminium frames from Australia’s largest extruder and distributor of aluminium products. Should this initial collaboration be successful, the companies will explore how Capral could supply Tindo as the panel-maker significantly scales its operations.

Tindo has been making premium quality panels in Adelaide since 2011, and also exports to Vietnam. Its panels have relied on imported components, however with the company’s plan to increase its output to 1GW per annum, it has been seeking domestic suppliers who require large-scale volumes in order to invest in their own Australian manufacturing capabilities. Capral Aluminium owns several aluminium plants in Australia and is a global pioneer in low-carbon ‘LoCAL’ aluminium products.

“We’re delighted to announce Capral Aluminium as a supplier of frames to our 425W Walara rooftop panel,” said Tindo Chief Executive Officer, Richard Petterson.

“We want Australian industry to supply components to our Australian solar panels and Capral Aluminium has joined us in realising this plan. The Gigafactory supports the development of Australian companies in the renewables supply chain and this partnership demonstrates what is possible when the government sends clear signals to industry through programs like Solar Sunshot, which we intend to apply for when the program opens. With short-term support, government can kick-start a solar PV industry which can stand on its own feet and ensure more of the benefits of the renewables transition are enjoyed by Australians.”

Mr Petterson said Tindo produced high quality panels with a low carbon footprint, and Capral Aluminium also prioritised sourcing lower carbon primary aluminium to produce high quality extruded aluminium products.

Luke Hawkins, Capral’s Divisional General Manager of Industrial and Supply Chain, commented on the partnership: “Capral’s collaboration with Tindo is a testament to the strength of Australian manufacturing. While the initial supply arrangement will focus on meeting the requirements for Tindo’s current solar panel production, we are excited by the opportunity to support their ambitious plans to develop a gigafactory supplied by Capral using locally extruded aluminium. This gigafactory isn’t just a game-changer for Tindo; it will be a milestone for Australia’s manufacturing sector. It demonstrates our capacity to lead in sustainable energy solutions and secure a stronger, more resilient local supply chain.”

Tindo developed the Gigafactory plan in response to Commonwealth and state government calls for more domestic renewables manufacturing, and the company has been engaging with relevant agencies and departments as it progresses its plans, including the Commonwealth’s Sunshot program. The $90-100 million Gigafactory facility will create 250 jobs and be capable of producing 7,000 panels per day, equivalent to 1GW of capacity per annum. It will go some way to meeting the estimated 22,000 panels which will need to be installed each day to meet Australia’s 2030 decarbonisation targets.

Based on its experience at its 150MW factory in Mawson Lakes, Adelaide, Tindo estimates that 1GW is the scale required to catalyse a domestic downstream supply chain, of which Capral is the first.

Mr Petterson added, “Australia needs to build sovereign capability in renewables manufacturing, and to ensure there is more Australian-made content in the clean energy infrastructure as we decarbonise our electricity system. We want Tindo’s Gigafactory to be at the heart of this domestic strategy, supplying Australia-made, high-quality solar panels to developers and installers, while sourcing components from local suppliers. With Capral’s partnership, we are now on the path to an Australian-sourced renewable energy system.”