Nextracker, a global market leader of solar tracker and software solutions, and Orrcon Steel, a leading Australian manufacturer of tube and pipe, and distributor of steel products and wholly owned business of BlueScope Steel (ASX:BSL), announced an agreement today to manufacture and deliver Australian made critical components for Nextracker’s smart solar tracker used on distributed generation and utility-scale solar farms. The first project scheduled to receive delivery of Australian made steel components from the facility is ACCIONA Energia’s 480MWp Aldoga Solar Farm to be built near Gladstone.
Critical steel components will be produced from BlueScope’s steel coil at Orrcon Steel’s Salisbury Tube mill in Brisbane and finished at its Northgate site by Baojia, Nextracker’s global manufacturing partner for delivery to engineering procurement contractors (EPCs).
The new manufacturing facility was officially opened today by Queensland Minister for Energy and Clean Economy Jobs, Mick de Brenni MP; Tania Archibald, Chief Executive BlueScope Australian Steel Products; Tony Schreiber, Chair of the Australian Steel Institute and General Manager of Orrcon Steel; and Peter Wheale, General Manager of Nextracker Australia, Southeast Asia, New Zealand.
“This foundation strengthens Nextracker’s commitment to deliver energy security to Australians with a local supply chain and new manufacturing jobs to make clean energy affordable and accessible. We support Queensland’s Energy and Jobs Plan and applaud their ambitions to create jobs for the clean energy economy,” said Peter Wheale, Nextracker GM for Australia, Southeast Asia, and New Zealand.
“In addition to reducing our carbon footprint by manufacturing critical tracker components in Australia, the manufacturing facility in Queensland will accelerate Nextracker’s ability to deliver faster to our customers in Australia and support large solar farms with quality, high performing solar tracker systems.”
Tania Archibald, Chief Executive of BlueScope Australian Steel Products, said, “As one of Australia’s largest manufacturers, BlueScope continues to invest in our Australian operations, with more than $2 billion currently committed to secure our future as a vibrant, modern and sustainable manufacturer with a clear role to play in enabling Australia’s energy transition.
“As part of this program, we’ve been undertaking a range of climate related initiatives – not just in progressing our own ambitions for lower emissions steelmaking – but focusing on supplying our high-quality steel products that support our customers and the Australian industry more broadly participate in the energy transition.”
Tony Schreiber, Chair of the Australian Steel Institute and General Manager of Orrcon Steel, said, “Orrcon Steel is one step closer to achieving our ambition to be a significant participant in Australia’s renewable energy supply chain. Our investment also includes a large tubular mill at Unanderra NSW, tooling to produce solar torque tubes and increased warehouse capacity, positioning our business as a key supplier of products for the rapidly expanding renewable energy sector. The collaboration with Nextracker and Baojia is another example of how we’re making a difference in the utility scale solar industry with an Australian made, high quality product.”
The manufacturing facility has been commissioned and 16 new jobs have been created to produce up to 50,000 tonnes of torque tubes, the equivalent of over 2.5GW of utility scale solar farms.
According to industry analyst, Rystad, Nextracker is the market leader for solar tracker systems in Australia with 7.45 GWdc installed or under fulfilment in 13.5 GWdc of utility-scale PV assets. Nextracker’s award-winning technology has also been used on some of the country’s largest projects: New England Solar Farm (521 MWd), Stubbo Solar Farm (520 MWd) and Western Downs (460 MWd).
