Press conference in Salisbury South, Adelaide

MATT BURNELL: Well, I’m Matt Burnell, the Federal Member for Spence, and today we’re here in Salisbury South at 5B Solar. We’re here with Chris Bowen, the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, along with my good friend and local member for Ramsay, Zoe Bettison.

Today we build on our election commitment to build Australia’s future. At the centre of that is power generation. And when I think of power generation, I can’t think of a better example than 5B Solar. 5B Solar are a fundamental lynchpin within our local economy here in Salisbury and the electorate of Spence. They’ve given us the ability to employ many people across my electorate in good-paying, secure, long-term jobs. Today’s announcement builds on that job security and delivers what we need in the form of power generation across this country.

To speak more about that, I’m going to hand over to Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen.

CHRIS BOWEN: Well, thanks very much, Matt. As Matt said, we went to the election promising a Future Made in Australia. And I’m delighted that a few weeks after the election here we are making the first commitment under our very important Solar Sunshot program. And I’m delighted that it’s here in South Australia and, indeed, Solar Sunshot comes to Salisbury South.

And I’m delighted that the first recipient of support from ARENA under the Solar Sunshot program is 5B, a great Australian company, a great South Australian manufacturer and presence that has been making world-leading, world-class projects here in Salisbury South. And this announcement locks in the future, locks in the ability of 5B to take its innovative, world-leading product to generate power in Australia and throughout the world.

And today’s commitment of $46 million – as I said, the first project under Solar Sunshot – will see 5B able to grow its operations, lock in and grow, to continue to employ the people employed here and more, and to expand capacity by the equivalent of enough to power 40,000 homes. Of course, this product is mainly for big industrial users, big resources users. It’s able to be rolled out quickly. That’s the whole 5B model. But it generates new renewable power in hard-to-abate sectors. It generates new renewable power in using Australian products and Australian ingenuity. And the projects here will be equivalent to 40,000 homes, and that’s a very good thing.

And this enables 5B to reduce its costs, running costs, by around a quarter, making them more competitive, making them more able to take this fast-to-roll-out technology and provide a cost-effective solution to mining and resources projects, as I said, across Australia and, indeed, across the world.

So it’s a good day. There’s much more to come. I look forward to making more Solar Sunshot announcements in the coming weeks and months, and maybe some in South Australia. But I’m delighted that the first one is in South Australia. I’m delighted that this company, which has been so important for our reputation around the world as a solar innovator, is quite rightly, David, the first recipient of Solar Sunshot support. It’s a good day for Salisbury South. It’s a good day for South Australia. It’s a good day for solar, and it’s a good day for Australia. So I’m just so pleased to be able to make this announcement.

I’m going to ask Elicia from ARENA to say a few words, and then David, the chief executive of 5B, will respond.

ELICIA CANTELO, ARENA: Thank you, Minister. And hi, everyone. I’m Elicia Cantelo on behalf of ARENA. I actually want to start by acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land that we’re meeting on today, the Kaurna people, and pay respect to elders past and present.

A few thank yous are also in order – to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, and the Member for Spence, Matt Burnell, and member for Ramsay, Zoe Bettison. It’s fantastic to have you all here. And David Griffin and the whole 5B team, thank you for hosting us.

So we’re incredibly excited to be here today to announce the first cab off the ranks under the Solar Sunshot program – $46 million in ARENA funding on behalf of the Australian government for 5B. So we’ve actually been working with 5B for several years already, so we’ve provided support for some of the first Maverick pilot lines, so we’re incredibly proud to be able to support now the expansion of that manufacturing capacity.

And at ARENA we have a vision that’ll [indistinct] low-cost solar. So we’re looking to drive down the cost of installing and operating solar, and we’re actually looking to reach one terawatt of solar PB in Australia by 2050. So not only can that decarbonise our grid, it can also create opportunities like renewable hydrogen production and the electrification of industry.

So we see the Solar Sunshot program as a critical part of achieving this, and we’re looking for projects that drive innovation, that can help diversify our economy and essentially give us a seat at the table in the global solar supply chain. So that’s why we’re particularly excited about this project with 5B, because not only does it support the objectives of the Sunshot program, it actually is what ARENA is all about. It’s what we’re here to do. Support home grown innovation.

So we’re really excited to see this project succeed. Thank you to the Australian Government for your ongoing support through the program. Thank you to the 5B team for your incredible hard work over the years. And thank you to the ARENA team back in the office for your incredible work getting to this point. Thank you.

DAVID GRIFFIN, 5B: Thank you, Minister, Matt, Elicia, Minister. This is an incredibly important announcement today for 5B. We are so proud to be the first beneficiaries of the Australian Government’s Solar Sunshot program, backing an Australian company. We’re incredibly grateful to the Australian Government and ARENA for backing an Australian company and enabling us to deliver on our promise to our various customers. We’re rapidly becoming the preferred solar technology supplier for our miners and other industrial players looking to decarbonise.

This program is already delivering results for 5B. Today we’ve signed our largest order to date, our first over 100 megawatts, with Zenith Energy. I just want to acknowledge representatives of Zenith Energy here today – Simon and Michael – and thank you for your custom and we are absolutely going to deliver.

I think it’s really important to acknowledge that if Australia wants to maintain a manufacturing capability, we do need government support. From 5B’s perspective, all of our competitors, which come from around the world, all of them receive government support via that country’s industrial policy. If we want to maintain a manufacturing capability, government has a really important role to play in that.

So I just want to acknowledge that and also to, again, thank the government and ARENA for your support. It’s going to be incredibly important for us. It’s already delivering, and we’re really looking forward to delivering on the first contract coming from that and note that the people who are going to deliver on that contract are standing behind us in orange. They’re the parties that are going to build that project that’s over 100 megawatts. They’re going to do it right here in Adelaide, which is a fantastic outcome. So thank you very much.

MINISTER BOWEN: Thanks, David. Okay, folks, what have you got?

JOURNALIST: Well, firstly, what’s your reaction to the Liberals and the Nationals splitting?

MINISTER BOWEN: Well, I mean, it’s pretty extraordinary. You’ve got an election result where the Australian people asked the Australian Government to keep going with the drive towards net zero, with the drive towards renewable energy. The Liberal Party said they wanted a referendum on energy and they got it, and the Australian people decided. And now you’ve got the Liberal and National parties arguing about whether Australia can be a modern country committed to net zero and arguing amongst themselves about the very basic principles.

Sussan Ley said they’re going to review net zero. You might as well review whether the sun is coming up tomorrow or whether the sky is blue. They can’t agree on the most basic elements of this transition.

And as the late great Bob Hawke said, if you can’t govern yourselves, you can’t govern the country. The Liberal and National parties are – I guess we should be grateful – reminding the Australian people they got it right on May the 3rd.

JOURNALIST: And what do you think that means for politics going forward?

MINISTER BOWEN: Well, look, we’re going to concentrate on the job at hand. We’re going to concentrate on delivering. The Liberals and the Nationals can squabble and fight off in the corner; we’ve got a job to do. We’re here doing that job today. Here we are three weeks after the election making our first commitment under Solar Sunshot. That’s delivery. From the Prime Minister down, we are going to focus on delivery, on getting the job done. The Australian people put us to work. The Liberals and Nationals can fight amongst themselves; we intend to work and deliver.

JOURNALIST: And when will the CCA provide advice on the 2035 national emissions target?

MINISTER BOWEN: When they’ve done their work. The chair of the CCA – I might take a moment, I hope he doesn’t mind – and congratulate him on the birth of his daughter last night – and his wife Wendy and his daughter last night. But they will – the CCA board is working carefully through all the issues that they need to advise the government on. When they’re ready, they will advise me. I will then consider that advice and take it to cabinet to comply with the Climate Change Authority Act – the Climate Change Act, which requires me to receive that advice before setting a target.

I saw my friend the executive secretary of the UNFCCC, Simon Stiell, overnight making a very important speech about how climate ambition is good for the economy. I agree with that. That’s our approach entirely. And that will be reflected in the 2035 target that we set. Many countries have not yet set their target. The vast majority of countries have not yet set their target. We will set the target when I’ve received the advice, when we’ve got a referral and it will be [indistinct].

JOURNALIST: And will you make that advised figure public before you land on your own emission target figure, and will that figure be legislated?

MINISTER BOWEN: We’ll release the Climate Change Authority’s advice, or the Climate Change Authority will, in accordance with the act. We’ve introduced a very transparent act. It will be clear to see what the CCA advice was, whether we’ve accepted it or not. That will all be clear when we release the target.

JOURNALIST: Off topic, Minister, but the Salvos are reporting one in 20 clients are eating out of rubbish bins currently. What are you doing about it?

MINISTER BOWEN: Well, what we’re doing is continuing to work on cost of living relief for all Australians, whether it is 20 per cent reduction in the HECS debt, whether it’s the two tax cuts that we’re going to deliver over this term, whether it’s continuing to deliver fee-free TAFE, whether it’s continuing to deliver support where it’s needed and targeted to the most vulnerable in the community. We’ve recognised all the way through that there’s plenty to do on cost of living relief. That’s why we’ve done that. Of course, our energy bill relief is very, very important, most of it opposed at the last election by our competitors. But, as I said before in relation to another question, delivery, delivery, delivery is our focus. Delivering on the task given to us by the Australian people, whether it’s cost of living relief, whether it’s the cheapest form of energy – renewables – whether it’s a Future Made in Australia. That’s our focus.

JOURNALIST: Do you think you need to increase welfare?

MINISTER BOWEN: Well, look, you know, we have a budget process every year which looks at what we do need to do. And there’s all sorts of advisory mechanisms the Treasurer has set up to look at that. That work will obviously continue. But obviously our first focus is on delivering that we said we would deliver, including very significant cost of living relief.

JOURNALIST: This announcement here today, of course, it’s a long way down the track. Do you expect this to impact energy prices in the future?

MINISTER BOWEN: I’m not making that claim. I mean, this is mainly an industrial and resources company which supports those companies producing, you know, great Australian minerals in a sustainable way. Obviously the cheapest form of energy is renewable energy. The cheaper you can roll that out the better, but I am not making any claims about direct links between this announcement today and energy prices.

JOURNALIST: Thank you.

MINISTER BOWEN: All right? All in, all done? Good stuff. Thanks, guys.