Quinbrook’s $8 billion plans for Australia solar supply chain put on fast-track

The nearly $8 billion plans of one the nation’s biggest renewable energy investors to build a polysilicon manufacturing facility on Queensland soil have been declared a prescribed project by the state Labor government.

Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners’ Project Green Poly proposes to create one of Australia’s first integrated mine-to-manufacturing supply chains for polysilicon – a key ingredient in the manufacture of solar PV.

The plans were unveiled in October last year, when Quinbrook also revealed it had secured a 200 hectare parcel of land at the Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct in Townsville to build the facility.

Quinbrook proposes to use the Lansdown allotment to house a “state-of-the-art” polysilicon manufacturing plant, itself powered by a large-scale solar and battery storage project it plans to build on land adjacent to Lansdown.

The project would source high quality silica quartz from the North Queensland region, and is expected to create around 4400 jobs in and around Townsville during construction and operation of the facility over a period of 30 years or more.

As Renew Economy reported at the time, the deal marked a major milestone on the road to developing Australia’s own solar supply chain – the current complete absence of which is listed among the greatest threats to Australia’s huge solar ambitions, as well as its climate targets.

The Queensland government – which last month unveiled a five-year, $571 million Battery Industry Strategy spanning from materials supply to advanced manufacturing, associated technologies and recycling – is obviously keen to grasp the nettle on solar manufacturing, too.

“With our critical mineral resources and growing list of projects we are ready to be the home to renewables-linked mining, manufacturing and exporting,” said the state’s minister for development, Grace Grace.

“Project Green Poly will create the Queensland-based polysilicon supply chain the world needs to expand solar and battery energy generation.

“It will further boost the Townsville region as a renewable energy mining, processing and manufacturing hub.”

For Quinbrook, the declaration of Project Green Poly as a prescribed project allows the Queensland Coordinator-General to work with local governments and regulators to help fast-track its development.

“Townsville has the potential to be a world-leading location to produce polysilicon given its proximity to high quality quartz resources, its great access to the Port of Townsville and the fact that the Lansdown Eco-industrial park, where our manufacturing is proposed, can be powered by 100% renewable energy,” said Quinbrook senior director Brian Restall on Thursday.

Alongside Project Green Poly, the Eva Copper Mine Project, owned by the Harmony Gold mining company, was also declared a prescribed project on Thursday by the government.

Located near Mt Isa, Harmony’s project proposes to add a new source of copper concentrate to feed Mount Isa’s copper smelter, which is in turn expected to boost local supply for solar, wind and battery manufacturing.

The mine aims to operate for at least 15 years and is expected to generate up to 1250 jobs in construction and operations and extend the life of local copper mining and smelting jobs.

“Harmony Gold Mining Company already has key mining approvals for the project and my prescribed project declaration means the Office of the Coordinator-General can now provide additional assistance to coordinate remaining approvals,” said minister Grace on Thursday.

“Priorities will include establishing a renewable energy source that can help run mining operations until the project connects to CopperString 2032.”