Contributing to Queensland’s Renewable Energy Future
Introduction
Orrcon Steel is playing a role to advance Australia’s renewable energy journey by contributing to Queensland’s first solar farm to incorporate Australian-made torque tube. This project demonstrates how local manufacturing can support sustainable energy initiatives and strengthen Australia’s domestic supply chain.
The Challenge
As Australia transitions to renewable energy, there’s a pressing need for infrastructure that aligns with sustainability goals while promoting and supporting local manufacturing.
Image: The Aldoga Solar Farm
The Acciona Energia Aldoga Solar Farm project in Queensland required high-quality steel torque tube components that could meet the precise standards needed for solar panels to be accurately installed. This called for a seamless integration of raw materials, advanced manufacturing, and precision engineering.
About Aldoga:
- Location: Near Gladstone, Queensland
- Capacity: 380MW
- Annual CO2 Emissions Avoided: 934,000 tonnes
- Unique Feature: First large-scale solar project in Queensland to incorporate Australian-made steel torque tube.
Image: Lester – Orrcon Steel National Marketing and Innovation Manager at Aldoga Solar Farm
The Solution
Orrcon Steel rose to the challenge by leveraging its extensive manufacturing capabilities and partnerships:
1. Sourcing Australian-Made Materials: The journey began with Australian-mined iron ore, processed into steel coil at BlueScope’s Port Kembla Steelworks.
2. Advanced Manufacturing: Orrcon Steel shaped the steel coil into torque tubes, critical components for solar farms, at its Salisbury, Brisbane-based mill.
3. Post Processing: Then at the Orrcon Steel Northgate facility, through its partnership with Baojia Engineering, these torque tubes underwent further processing to meet exacting standards, which enables accurate solar panel mounting.
4. Local Delivery: These Australian-made steel tubes are delivered to the Aldoga Solar Farm, where they are mounted onto brackets, ready for the solar panels to be installed by the Acciona Energia team.
5. Cutting-edge Integration: With an efficient supply chain utilising advanced tracking systems from Nextracker, this project identifies large-scale renewable initiatives can incorporate local manufacturing capabilities.
Image: Orrcon Steel Northgate
Key Partners:
ACCIONA Energia: The investor behind the Aldoga Solar Farm, along with Nextracker were committed to support the Australian-made initiative incorporating local suppliers.
Orrcon Steel: Crafting Australian-made steel tubes for use in the Aldoga Solar Farm
Baojia Engineering: Providing precision-engineered finished torque tube to optimise speed of erection on site.
Nextracker: Integrating cutting-edge tracking systems to deliver high performance energy outcomes from the site.
Orrcon Steel invested in its operations, including manufacturing and warehouse operations, demonstrating its ability to deliver value locally.
Key Achievements
- Supporting Local Supply Chains: By partnering with Nextracker, Baojia, and Acciona, Orrcon Steel helped establish a reliable, scalable local supply chain for renewable energy steel torque tube components.
- Showcasing Sovereign Capability: The project highlighted Australia’s ability to deliver high-quality, locally produced materials.
Conclusion
This project marks a milestone for Orrcon Steel, showcasing its dedication to sustainability through innovation and a strong commitment to local manufacturing.
By delivering high-quality Australian-made steel, Orrcon Steel has contributed to the success of a key Queensland renewable energy project. This case study exemplifies the importance of collaboration and benefits of utilising an extensive local supply chain that can drive meaningful progress toward a sustainable future
