Multi-billion Quinbrook project secures site at the Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct
A leading renewable energy investor is backing Townsville, securing land to build a multi-billion dollar project generating thousands of jobs. See the first pictures.
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A leading renewable energy infrastructure investor is ready to supercharge Townsville’s economic future after signing a land agreement for a multi-billion dollar project that will generate thousands of jobs.
Australian-owned Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners (Quinbrook) has been conditionally allocated a 200-hectare portion of the total 2200-hectare Eco-Industrial Precinct through a Townsville City Council-run competitive tender process.
Quinbrook proposes to develop and build a state-of-the-art polysilicon manufacturing facility at Lansdown, worth $8 to $10 billion when fully developed, powered by a large-scale solar and battery storage project it plans to build on land adjacent to Lansdown.
Sourcing high quality silica quartz throughout the North Queensland region, the facility would produce Polysilicon, a basic building block for both solar panels and computer chips.
Creating more than 2500 jobs in construction and operation, Quinbrook said the project’s access to low-cost renewable power at Lansdown could make it one of greenest polysilicon plants in the world.
The project would be delivered in stages, with Quinbrook’s Senior Director Brian Restall confirming the first stage’s two-year development process was underway, followed by a four-year construction period, to complete by 2029/2030.
He said Lansdown was targeted because of its clear competitive advantages for large-scale manufacturing powered by renewables, logistics, site infrastructure and port access for export.
“Lansdown is close to the source of some of the best silica quartz resources in the world and it has the land and site infrastructure we need to build a truly state of the art manufacturing facility that will be powered by renewable energy,” Mr Restall said.
“Close proximity to the port and multiple transport corridors make it a very compelling location for energy intensive, export driven ‘green’ manufacturing.”
With strong relationships with leading solar and battery manufacturers across the globe, he said components manufactured in Townsville would be exported for production into batteries.
Quinbrook has partnered Solquartz, which was conditionally allocated 64HA at Lansdown to develop a metallurgical silicon metal processing plant, enabling Solquartz to accelerate and integrate its project into Quinbrook’s larger polysilicon manufacturing facility.
Mr Restall said Quinbrook’s ultimate aim was to purchase that equipment for its global power generation projects with total confidence in the supply chain that produced them.
“We’re looking forward to working with Townsville locals to manufacture green polysilicon right here in Queensland and … we’re actively looking for a technology partner,” Mr Restall said.
Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill said Quinbrook would “turbocharge” the Lansdown precinct.
“This is an especially exciting announcement because Quinbrook are not only the developers and sponsors, but also the project funders, which means the money is on the table,” Cr Hill said.
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Originally published as Multi-billion Quinbrook project secures site at the Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct
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