Prime Highlights:
- SunDrive receives AUD 25.3 million in ARENA grants to scale up its copper solar technology.
- The company plans to expand its Kurnell site into a 300-MW production plant and prepare its technology for the market.
Key Facts:
- SunDrive’s technology replaces silver with copper to reduce costs and improve solar cell efficiency.
- The company will collaborate with Suzhou Maxwell Technologies and Jiangsu Vistar Equipment to support production and development.
Background:
Sydney-based solar technology company SunDrive has received up to AUD 25.3 million (USD 16.5 million/EUR 14.2 million) in grants from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to advance and commercialise its innovative copper metallisation solar cell technology.
The funding will support SunDrive’s mission to reduce the cost of high-efficiency solar cells by replacing silver with copper, a move expected to improve performance while lowering production expenses. The technology was developed at SunDrive’s research and development (R&D) facility in Kurnell, New South Wales.
With the new grant, SunDrive plans to scale up its processes from laboratory to commercial production and expand its Kurnell site into a 300-MW production plant. The upgraded facility will help SunDrive make new tools, check costs, and test solar panels before selling them.
As part of this initiative, SunDrive will collaborate with international photovoltaic (PV) equipment manufacturers, including Suzhou Maxwell Technologies Co Ltd and Jiangsu Vistar Equipment Technology Co Ltd, strengthening its production and technical capabilities.
SunDrive’s R&D efforts have previously been supported by ARENA, which allocated AUD 14 million two years ago to demonstrate the company’s copper metallisation technology. The latest funding marks a significant step in bringing the technology to a commercial scale and reinforces the company’s role in Australia’s renewable energy landscape.
