The $90-100 million facility will create 250 jobs and be capable of producing 7000 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 upstream supply chain and the company in talks with local manufacturers of glass, aluminium and other components. 

Tindo has 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.

With potential sites in regional New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria, Tindo has secured Letters of Intent from potential offtakers and is attracting interest from strategic partners.   

As well as supplying panels across Australia, Tindo will look to export to overseas markets that seek high-quality panels, building on its network of existing international customers. 

Richard Petterson, CEO of Tindo Solar, said Australian manufacturers could participate in the energy transition if they could produce at scale which would reduce their prices, bringing locally-made equipment closer to import prices. 

“There is a clear need for Australia to build sovereign capability in renewables manufacturing, and to ensure there is more Australian-made content in the vast amount of clean energy infrastructure required as we decarbonise our electricity system. Governments across the country have recognised that now is the time to be putting in place the right mechanisms to make Australia a renewables manufacturing superpower. 

“The United States’ Inflation Reduction Act and China’s ongoing support for its renewables manufacturers show that some level of price support, possibly through a production credit, is critical to help industry scale. This type of short-term support would unlock huge investment in Australia, creating thousands of jobs and ensuring our country shares in more of the benefits of the energy transition.

“We want Tindo’s gigafactory to be at the heart of this domestic strategy, supplying Australian-made, high-quality solar panels to developers and installers, while sourcing component parts from local suppliers.”