{"id":162470,"date":"2025-11-13T12:12:57","date_gmt":"2025-11-13T12:12:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pv-tech.org\/?p=162470"},"modified":"2025-11-13T12:13:00","modified_gmt":"2025-11-13T12:13:00","slug":"australia-eyes-solar-independence-with-first-domestic-ingot-and-wafer-production","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pv-tech.org\/australia-eyes-solar-independence-with-first-domestic-ingot-and-wafer-production\/","title":{"rendered":"Australia eyes solar independence with first domestic ingot and wafer production"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
Stellar PV CEO Louise Hurll says the Solar Sunshot Programme will be “transformational” in helping Australia bolster its domestic upstream solar manufacturing capacity. Image: Stellar PV.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Australia is taking decisive steps to transform its role in the global solar value chain through the AU$1 billion (US$653 million) Solar Sunshot Programme. Announced by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in March 2024<\/a> under the government\u2019s Future Made in Australia initiative, the programme aims to rebuild domestic solar manufacturing capacity and reduce dependence on imported components, particularly from China. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Administered by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), Solar Sunshot provides funding and production credits to strengthen the local solar supply chain. The first funding round, concluded in 2024, awarded AU$91.5 million to firms focused on upstream PV manufacturing<\/a>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In September 2025, ARENA launched the second round of the AU$1billion<\/a> programme, allocating AU$150 million to further support domestic manufacturing and scale-up projects.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the companies selected in the first round was Stellar PV, a Queensland-based silicon ingot and wafer manufacturing start-up. Speaking to PV Tech, the company\u2019s CEO Louise Hurll emphasises the need for Australia to bolster its domestic solar manufacturing capabilities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cToday, more than 90% of the world\u2019s polysilicon and 98% of its wafers \u2013 key building blocks of photovoltaic cells \u2013 are produced in China. Building an end-to-end solar manufacturing supply chain is becoming a strategic imperative for Australia,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hurll believes the Solar Sunshot Programme is helping lay the foundation for a competitive domestic solar manufacturing industry, not just in terms of financial backing, but as a statement of intent: \u201cThe Solar Sunshot Programme marks a turning point for Australia\u2019s solar industry, building on our strengths in research and deployment to develop home-grown manufacturing capability.\u201d   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

From raw materials to finished products<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Australia\u2019s current position in the solar value chain is primarily as a raw materials supplier. \u201cWe ship our quartz overseas to be processed. By the time it returns to us in the form of finished solar panels, its value has multiplied many times over,\u201d Hurll explains. \u201cThe programme is a transformational opportunity for Australia to move from being a consumer of clean technology to a global supplier.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through the Solar Sunshot Programme, ARENA is providing funding and production credits to help projects like Stellar PV\u2019s progress from feasibility to commercialisation. The company has already received AU$4.7 million from ARENA to conduct a feasibility study for a 2GW silicon ingot and wafer facility in Townsville, Queensland. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Solar Sunshot Programme funding is fundamental to establishing solar manufacturing in Australia. Private investment alone would not be viable for several reasons,\u201d Hurll emphasises. \u201cOur ARENA-funded feasibility study has been critical in understanding the true costs and financial structure needed to establish manufacturing here. We could not have progressed this far without that support.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She adds that government backing also provides \u201cvital validation that helps attract private investors who see government as a committed partner in de-risking the project\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learning from global manufacturing models<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Hurll highlights that every successful solar manufacturing nation has relied on strong government intervention to reach scale. \u201cChina\u2019s dominance was built on decades of industrial policy, from low-cost energy and land access to preferential loans, tax incentives and direct support for manufacturing expansion,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The United States\u2019 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has further reshaped the competitive landscape, offering up to US$12 per square metre in production tax credits for solar products. Australia\u2019s Solar Sunshot Programme, Hurll notes, \u201cis now positioned to provide a similar kind of investment support and production credits that can accelerate our entry into large-scale solar manufacturing markets\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While cost competition with China remains difficult, she believes Australia can carve out a niche based on sustainability, transparency and high performance. \u201cAustralia is well positioned to compete on both sustainability and cost, supported by abundant renewable energy and growing global demand for traceable, low-carbon materials.\u201d   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stellar PV: From feasibility to full-scale production<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The company\u2019s feasibility study, due to be completed by mid-2026, will deliver a bankable engineering and business plan to guide construction, with production expected to begin in late 2028, Hurll says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company\u2019s facility will employ the Czochralski (Cz) method for ingot pulling, the global standard for photovoltaic-grade silicon, and the diamond wire sawing process for wafering. Both technologies are mature, efficient and align with Stellar PV\u2019s focus on sustainability. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe technology itself is not the barrier; these processes are mature and well understood. The challenge lies in building the industrial and economic capability to support them,\u201d she adds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Polysilicon production and crystal growth, Hurll highlights, are capital- and energy-intensive processes that require specialised expertise and strong policy certainty. \u201cEstablishing them in Australia will require coordinated investment, long-term policy certainty and access to affordable renewable energy,\u201d Hurll says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stellar PV\u2019s Townsville site\u2019s access to low-cost, behind-the-grid renewable electricity, combined with co-location near Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners\u2019 planned polysilicon facility, creates \u201cideal conditions for supply chain integration and a strong competitive advantage,\u201d she emphasises. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Initially, polysilicon may be imported from trusted international producers, but Stellar PV intends to transition to domestic supply as soon as local production is ready. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stellar PV also aims to achieve a green price premium for its wafers by offering verified low-carbon and fully traceable manufacturing. \u201cBy combining transparency, certification and technical performance, we aim to position our wafers as a trusted, premium input for manufacturers seeking cleaner and more traceable supply chains,\u201d Hurll explains. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Townville facility and its \u2018stellar\u2019 future<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Automation will be central to the facility\u2019s operations, but Stellar PV is equally focused on workforce development. The company expects to create a high-skill, regionally based workforce in North Queensland, contributing to economic diversification and long-term community benefits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cAutomation will play a major role in managing high-precision processes, but the human workforce remains central,\u201d Hurll says. \u201cWe are building local capability through training, apprenticeships and continuous upskilling, ensuring automation enhances rather than replaces local employment.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By 2030, Stellar PV aims to be a global benchmark for sustainable wafer manufacturing, exporting to US and European markets while helping build an integrated Australian solar supply chain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur goal is to demonstrate that advanced solar manufacturing can thrive in Australia, combining technical excellence, low-carbon production, and reliable delivery,\u201d she adds. \u201cThis is about proving that Australia can compete in advanced low-emissions manufacturing on the world stage.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The opinions and information presented in this article are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the Australian government, which assumes no responsibility for the content.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

PV Talk: Stellar PV has been awarded government funding for its plan to open a solar ingot and wafer plant in Australia. The company\u2019s CEO Louise Hurll tells Shreeyashi Ojha why the time is right for Australia to develop its upstream manufacturing capacity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":189,"featured_media":162473,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[45,4,6],"tags":[185,72,95,125,12283,13648],"paywall-tags":[8671],"regions":[30,31],"industry-segments":[11,8,12,9,23],"class_list":["post-162470","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","category-interviews","category-long-reads","tag-australia","tag-pv-modules","tag-pv-power-plants","tag-solar-pv","tag-solar-sunshot-programme","tag-stellar-pv","paywall-tags-premium","regions-asia-oceania","regions-southeast-asia-oceania","industry-segments-fab-facilities","industry-segments-manufacturing","industry-segments-materials","industry-segments-power-plants","industry-segments-projects"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAustralia eyes solar independence with first domestic ingot 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