The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has announced up to AUD 32.3 million ($22.45 million) in funding for United States-headquartered companies Luminous Robotics and Built Robotics to establish new manufacturing facilities in Melbourne and Brisbane.
ARENA is providing up to AUD 17.8 million to Luminous to establish a Melbourne manufacturing facility for its autonomous solar panel installation LUMI robots designed to streamline utility-scale solar construction. The AUD 39.7 million project is expected to support the manufacture and deployment of about 100 of the robots by 2029.
Built Robotics Australia will receive up to AUD 14.5 million to establish a Brisbane manufacturing hub and operations centre for autonomous piling systems. It is anticipated the facility will manufacture and deploy 12 robotic pile driving systems.
ARENA Chief Executive Officer Darren Miller said the new manufacturing facilities will improve productivity, reduce construction costs and ease workforce constraints as large-scale solar deployment in Australia grows.
“Installing foundations and placing panels are two of the most labour-intensive parts of solar farm construction,” he said, noting that “Australia needs to install large volumes of solar quickly and cost-effectively.”
Australia is targeting 82% renewables by 2030 and according to the Australian Energy Market Operator that will require about 38 GW of new solar and wind capacity to be built in the next three years. That includes some 20 GW of large-scale solar
“Local manufacturing and automation can improve the way solar farms are built by reducing construction costs and making installation faster, safer and more efficient,” Miller said.
Luminous Robotics Australia General Manager Tenzin Crouch said the new funding will enable the company to move its technology from field demonstration in Australia to industrial-scale manufacturing.
“For me, this is about building Australian capability that translates directly into delivery in the field. Designing and manufacturing robots here, then putting them to work building the solar infrastructure we need,” he said.
“We’ve proven LUMI on real solar farms in Australia, in the heat and dust, doing some of the hardest work on site. The next step is to turn that into scale.”
The company’s LUMI robot autonomously lifts and places solar panels onto racking structures, traditionally one of the most labour-intensive parts of solar farm construction. According to ARENA, the robot can install panels up to 3.5 times faster than current manual methods and has the potential to cut solar farm construction costs by about 6.2%.
Built Robotics’ autonomous piling robots automate the repetitive process of pile driving, which is usually time-consuming when setting up utility-scale solar farms. The company estimates that its robots have the potential to reduce piling time by approximately 82% and labour costs by 88%.
Paul Kelly, Vice President of business development at Built Robotics, said the company’s new Brisbane hub will make Queensland a home for autonomous solar construction and create a supply chain that serves projects in Australia.
“Australia has shown the world that construction robotics and physical AI work in the field. Now we’re going to build that technology here,” he said.
Both projects are supported through Round 2 of ARENA’s Solar Sunshot program.
Miller said in addition to supporting more efficient large-scale solar farm builds, the projects will also grow Australia’s advanced manufacturing capability.
“Manufacturing these technologies in Australia will help to strengthen local supply chains, develop specialist skills and give solar projects better access to advanced construction equipment when and where it is needed,” he said.
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