Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners' ambitious plan to establish a polysilicon production complex in Queensland has been fast-tracked for approval by the state government.
The AUD-7.8-billion (USD 5.08bn/EUR 4.7bn) proposal has been designated a “prescribed project,” allowing for an expedited permitting process, the Queensland government announced on Monday.
Quinbrook plans to construct a cutting-edge polysilicon manufacturing facility that will produce polysilicon wafers for use in solar panels and batteries, sourcing silica quartz locally from the Townsville region. The facility will be powered by a large-scale solar and battery storage complex. Spanning 200 hectares, the factory will be situated at an industrial site near Townsville, within a zone designated to become an environmentally sustainable technology hub.
“Project Green Poly will create the Queensland-brd polysilicon supply chain the world needs to expand solar and battery energy generation,” stated Grace Grace, Queensland's Minister for State Development and Infrastructure.
The project is expected to generate around 4,400 jobs during the construction phase, solidifying the Townsville region's position as a hub for renewable energy mining, processing, and manufacturing. It is set to establish one of Australia's first integrated mine-to-manufacturing polysilicon supply chains.
