The Sun King Returns
$171M Solar Foundry Sparks Manufacturing BOOST in the Hunter
The Hunter Region, long the beating heart of Australia’s coal-fired power generation, is poised for a significant industrial pivot. In a landmark move announced this week, the Federal and NSW Governments have backed a $171 million investment to establish the Hunter Valley Solar Foundry, a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility capable of producing 500 megawatts of solar modules annually.
But beyond the jobs and the dollar figures, the project represents a symbolic homecoming for Australian science. The facility is the brainchild of the Sunman Group, led by Dr. Zhengrong Shi, the billionaire scientist known globally as "The Sun King," whose journey from a University of New South Wales (UNSW) laboratory to global industrial dominance is the stuff of renewable energy legend.
A New Energy for the Hunter
Located at the Hunter Business Park in Black Hill, the new foundry is designed to be more than just a factory; it is an engine for economic transition.
As the region prepares for the eventual decommissioning of thermal power stations like Eraring and the now-closed Liddell, the demand for high-quality, long-term manufacturing jobs is critical. The project is expected to generate 200 jobs during construction and over 100 ongoing high-tech positions once fully operational.
Crucially, the facility aims to insulate the region from the "boom and bust" cycles of commodity exports. By partnering with TAFE NSW to develop an advanced manufacturing training program, the initiative ensures that the intellectual property and technical skills remain in the Hunter, fostering a local workforce capable of building the energy infrastructure of the future.
The Innovation: Lightweight Power
While the foundry will have the capacity to produce standard glass solar panels, its crown jewel is Sunman’s proprietary "eArc" technology.
Unlike traditional panels, which are heavy and encased in glass, eArc modules use a patented composite polymer. This makes them approximately 70% lighter and flexible enough to be bonded directly onto curved surfaces.
This innovation unlocks a massive, previously inaccessible market: older commercial buildings, factories, and warehouses with roofs structurally too weak to support the weight of conventional solar arrays. By manufacturing these panels in the Hunter, Australia moves from being a simple importer of solar technology to a specialised manufacturer of next-generation solutions.
The Homecoming of Dr. Zhengrong Shi
To understand the significance of this factory, one must look back to 1989. A young Zhengrong Shi arrived in Australia to study at UNSW under Professor Martin Green, the man widely regarded as the "father of modern photovoltaics."
Shi was a star pupil. He completed his PhD in record time and became a key researcher at Pacific Solar, an early UNSW spin-out company attempting to commercialise Australian solar breakthroughs. However, the early 2000s Australian investment landscape was risk-averse. Frustrated by the inability to secure capital to scale up manufacturing locally, Shi made the difficult decision to return to China in 2001.
There, he founded Suntech Power, using the technology honed at UNSW to build the world’s largest solar module manufacturer. His success made him the world’s first solar billionaire, but it also highlighted a "brain drain" failure for Australia: we supplied the science, but another country reaped the manufacturing rewards.
Closing the Circle
The Hunter Valley Solar Foundry marks the closing of that circle. Supported by the Government’s "Solar Sunshot" program, Dr. Shi is finally bringing mass-scale manufacturing back to the country where his scientific career began.
"It has been my long-held ambition to establish solar module manufacturing in Australia," Dr. Shi said of the announcement.
For the Hunter Region, the implication is clear: the area that powered Australia’s 20th century with coal is now securing its place as the engine room for the nation’s 21st century’s renewable transformation.
