In an effort to increase renewable energy jobs in Western Sydney, the New South Wales Government is investing $28 million in a new Renewables Manufacturing Hub in Blacktown.
The new hub is expected to employ 143 full time workers over the lifetime of the project, creating the workforce that will make Western Sydney a key supplier to the renewable energy industry.
In addition to the $28 million New South Wales Government grant to Sell & Parker to operate the hub, $38 million will be co-invested by Sell & Parker, taking the total investment in the local area to $66 million.
Sell & Parker is an Australian-owned company with a 60-year history in the steel industry and a strong track record in recycling and steel manufacturing. It has an existing facility in Smithfield.
The hub will produce 780 turbine anchors for the wind sector, thousands of torque tubes, mounts and brackets for solar farms and 200 monopoles per year for transmission infrastructure.
This investment strengthens New South Wales’s domestic industrial capability. Once complete, the hub will produce 46,000t of competitively priced steel each year, backing local manufacturing and supporting homegrown innovation and jobs.
This funding has been awarded under the Renewable Manufacturing Construction Ready Stream of the New South Wales Government’s $480 million Net Zero Manufacturing Initiative, which is helping local businesses scale up to meet the demand for renewable energy components and low-carbon products.
New South Wales Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Penny Sharpe, said that the State Government is driving new jobs, and this new Renewables Manufacturing Hub is a perfect example of the way New South Wales is building the industries of the future right here at home.
“This facility will not only deliver the steel components needed for renewable energy projects across the state, but it will also strengthen Western Sydney’s role as a powerhouse of innovation and manufacturing,” she said.
Member for Prospect, Hugh McDermott, said that this investment grows the local supply chains needed to create more jobs across Western Sydney.
“We’re proud to make this announcement at Sell & Parker’s existing plant at Smithfield, which gives us a snapshot of the technology and jobs its new hub will deliver for our region,” he said.
Member for Blacktown, Stephen Bali, welcomed the investment,
“This $28 million investment is fantastic news for Blacktown and another step on our path to Net Zero emissions by 2050,” Mr Bali said.
“It means more jobs, more opportunities for our local workforce, and a stronger role for Western Sydney in building the renewable energy future.”
For Sell & Parker Group General Manager, Simon Preston, this investment enables the energy transition to be powered by local resources and local businesses.
“Fast-tracking our build of steel turbine anchors, solar trackers components and transmission monopoles means we can supply more renewable projects with Aussie steel made right here in Western Sydney,” he said.
For more information, visit www.energy.nsw.gov.au/NetZeroManufacturing.
