Sunman Group Secures $171 Million to Build Australia’s Largest Solar Module Manufacturing Plant in Hunter Valley

The Sunman Group, led by solar industry pioneer and UNSW alumnus Dr Zhengrong Shi, will establish Australia’s largest solar module manufacturing facility in the Hunter Valley after receiving $171 million (USD 111.92 million) in combined federal and state government funding.

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has committed up to $151 million through the federal government’s $1 billion Solar Sunshot program, while the New South Wales government has invested $20 million to support the development of the Hunter Valley Solar Foundry.

Sunman currently operates two manufacturing facilities — a 1 GW plant in China and a 500 MW facility under construction in the United States. The new Australian facility, to be built at Black Hill near Maitland, will leverage Sunman’s lightweight solar technology to produce 500 MW of solar modules annually for both domestic and international markets. Production is expected to begin at 300 MW per year, scaling to full capacity over time.

Dr Shi said the project marks a major step forward for Australian manufacturing. “Once established, the Hunter Valley Solar Foundry will be the largest manufacturer of solar photovoltaic modules in Australia, and the only one in NSW, delivering world-leading products to residential, commercial and utility customers nationwide,” he said.

Currently, Tindo Solar is the only recognised manufacturer of Australian-made solar panels, operating in South Australia. The company is scaling production at its Mawson Lakes facility from 20 MW to 180 MW and exploring plans for a 1 GW solar panel plant.

Sunman’s Hunter Valley facility will manufacture a range of products, including its proprietary Architecture Ready Composite (eArc) modules — lightweight, flexible solar panels that replace traditional glass with durable polymers, making them 70% lighter and adaptable to various surfaces. The plant will also produce glass modules, host a solar innovation hub, and operate as a manufacturing foundry with capacity for original equipment manufacturers, strengthening Australia’s domestic solar supply chain.

Dr Shi said the funding represents “an important milestone in Australia’s energy transition,” adding that the project supports his long-held ambition to build solar manufacturing capacity within the country.

ARENA CEO Darren Miller said the facility will play a critical role in reducing Australia’s reliance on imported solar products and expanding its participation in global clean energy supply chains. “Deployment of solar photovoltaics at scale is central to meeting our long-term emissions goals,” he said.

Construction is expected to create up to 200 jobs, with a further 100 ongoing positions once operational.

The announcement follows a $1.3 million Solar Sunshot grant awarded earlier this year to Sunman subsidiary Energus for a feasibility study into a 50,000-tonne-per-annum solar-grade polysilicon facility in the Hunter Valley. The study is assessing the technical, commercial and environmental feasibility of producing high-purity polysilicon in Australia.