Australia’s sole manufacturer of solar panels, Tindo Solar, says it has secured a deal to supply more than 50,000 of its panels to the Bowen Water Pipeline project in Queensland.
Expected to be delivered through 2026 and 2027, the cumulative 30MW-worth of the company’s “Walara” solar panels will power “pumps and other machinery” along the 182km pipeline.
“This is a real compliment to our 60 employees who make the highest quality panel in Australia, right here in Adelaide. It’s a vote of confidence in Australian manufacturing,” said Tindo CEO, Richard Petterson.
Made up of a 116km main line and 66km in branches, the pipeline will transport water in a south easterly direction from the Burdekin River all the way to Bowen where it will be used to support local horticulture and agriculture industries.
Director of the pipeline, Sean Brown, said the company was “delighted to be fulfilling [its] goals of utilising Australian-made solar panels.”
“The Bowen Water Pipeline is an ambitious project that builds economic growth in Australia and we want to use Australian expertise and equipment wherever we can,” added Brown. Alongside the solar panels, the pipeline will also utilise Australian-made high-density polyethylene (HDPE) piping and optic leak detection technology.
The project has been touted as Australia’s first “net-zero pipeline,” expected to generate up to 1,200 jobs and annual economic growth of A$300 million. Final approval of the pipeline is expected before the end of this year, with construction slated for 2026.
Solar panel export deal
Also announced this month, Tindo struck up a A$8.4 million deal to export 15MW worth of its rooftop solar panels to Vietnam. With the majority of the world’s solar panels still being made in southeast Asia, it’s refreshing to see a supply contract working the other way around.
Through the five year deal with construction firm Thanh Do Australia, Tindo’s 430W rooftop panels will be deployed across the company’s portfolio of infrastructure, real estate development, and clean energy projects.
In what’s been a busy couple of months for the company, Tindo also recently received an accolade for its “Karra” solar panel from consumer advocacy group Choice.
Of the 15 panels Choice analysed during the recent test, it ranked Tindo’s Karra panel as the best performing of its kind for the Australian market, after it delivered an output 7W higher than its rating.
