<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/we-can-make-it-happen-trina-says-timing-right-to-make-solar-in-australia-with-sundrive/>
"Chinese giant Trina Solar says its joint venture plans with Australian PV
innovator SunDrive to establish a commercial-scale module manufacturing
facility in new South Wales are making good progress, with an application for
federal SunShot funding due to be submitted next week.
Trina’s head of Australia and New Zealand, Edison Zhou, says the company has
been working with SunDrive on the application to the Australian Renewable
Energy Agency, seeking a share of the first $550 million on offer to support
the establishment of a domestic solar supply chain.
The two companies signed a memorandum of understanding earlier this month to
combine Trina’s heft in the global market – including its considerable
experience in manufacturing – with SunDrive’s potentially game-changing
technology.
Backed by some of Australia’s richest and most famous people, the Sydney-based
SunDrive has been working to substitute more abundant and lower cost copper for
silver in the production of solar panels.
Its work has been highlighted by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency as one
of the great hopes for the goal of “ultra low cost solar” – defined by ARENA as
a 30-30-30 vision representing 30 per cent solar module efficiency and an
installed cost of 30 cents per watt by 2030.
SunDrive’s technology has been backed by the likes of software billionaire Mike
Cannon-Brookes, through his private investment fund Grok Ventures, former prime
minister Malcolm Turnbull, Canva co-founder Cameron Adams, and others.
The start-up has also signed an MoU with Australian gentailer AGL Energy to
potentially build a solar manufacturing plant at the site of the shuttered
Liddell coal plant in the NSW Hunter Valley.
The MoU with Trina would result in a joint venture that will be majority
Australian owned, and would seek to build a facility with two lines of
production, with annual capacity of 1.2 gigawatts of production and with around
300 employees. Two sites are being considered."
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
