DT Infrastructure (engineering and construction company) has awarded TCL Solar (a renewable energy company) the module supply contract for Edify Energy's Smoky Creek and Guthrie's Gap Solar Power Stations in Central Queensland, a combined 720 MW project that will become the largest solar installation in the world to use back contact technology. Installation is expected to commence in early Q2 2027.

A Landmark Deal for Back Contact Technology

The contract award marks what TCL Solar describes as a pivotal moment for back-contact solar technology at utility scale. The two power stations, located approximately 75 kilometres south of Rockhampton and 40 kilometres north of Biloela on the traditional lands of the Gaangalu Nation People, will together deploy TCL Solar Back Contact modules featuring efficiencies of up to 24.2 percent. The modules come with a 30-year performance warranty and a 15-year product warranty.

Frank Zhang, Director of SunPower Corporation Australia Pty Ltd. and President of International Business, Global Sales and Marketing Center at TCL Solar, said the award demonstrated that back contact technology had evolved well beyond premium residential markets.

"It demonstrates that BC technology has evolved beyond premium residential markets and is now ready to deliver unparalleled value at the largest scales of solar deployment," Zhang said at the signing ceremony.

Adam Farquer, Project Director at DT Infrastructure, said the scale of the project required strong collaboration between parties. "Projects of this scale are built on collaboration.

We're proud to partner with TCL Solar to deliver the module supply for the Smoky Creek and Guthrie's Gap Solar Power Station and look forward to working together to deliver a safe, high-quality outcome," Farquer said. He added that the project represented a major investment in Australia's renewable energy future and an opportunity to deploy innovative back contact technology at utility scale.

Four Decades of Back Contact Innovation Behind the Contract

The technology being deployed in Queensland has its roots in work that began four decades ago. SunPower has been recognised as the pioneer of back contact solar technology since 1985, developing what the company describes as some of the industry's most efficient and reliable solar products.

SunPower was integrated into TCL's renewable energy portfolio in March 2025, forming TCL SunPower, which now sells modules under two brands: TCL Solar and SunPower.

The group points to a history of large-scale back contact deployments as evidence of the technology's proven capability. In 2015, SunPower completed Solar Star in California, a 579MW solar power station that became the world's largest operating solar farm at the time of its completion.

That project used approximately 1.7 million SunPower Interdigitated Back Contact panels spread across more than 13 square kilometres. In Australia, the Limondale Solar Farm was built with 349MW of SunPower Performance panels and became the largest solar farm in the country when it became operational in 2021.

TCL SunPower's Australian office was established in 2008, making it one of Australia's longest-serving solar providers. Zhang noted that the local team, combined with support from TCL Zhonghuan's headquarters, would ensure on-time delivery and smooth project execution.

Scale and Energy Output of the Queensland Stations

At 720 MWp combined, Smoky Creek and Guthrie's Gap will surpass any previous back-contact solar installation globally. The project, developed by Edify Energy, combines large-scale solar generation with advanced energy storage. Once operational, the power stations are expected to generate up to 1,589,0megawatt-hoursurs of renewable energy annually.

The project is described as supporting the decarbonisation of one of Australia's largest industrial energy users, while also strengthening Queensland's low-carbon energy future. Both stations are located on the traditional lands of the Gaangalu Nation People in Central Queensland.

TCL Zhonghuan's Manufacturing Backing

TCL Solar's parent company, TCL Zhonghuan, is a Tier One global solar manufacturer with full vertical integration spanning ingots and wafers through to finished modules.

Founded in 1958, the company began monocrystalline silicon research and development in 1969 and went on to become the world's number one silicon wafer manufacturer.

TCL Zhonghuan is the solar manufacturing division of TCL Group, which reported USD 44.9 billion in revenue in 2024 and ranks as the world's second-largest television manufacturer by shipment volume.

SunPower Corporation Australia Pty Ltd, the Australian subsidiary of TCL Zhonghuan, supplies the Australian and Pacific markets with modules under both the TCL Solar and SunPower brands.

The company's intellectual property portfolio and manufacturing capabilities built through SunPower's decades of back contact research now underpin TCL Solar's commercial module offerings, including those that will be deployed at Smoky Creek and Guthrie's Gap.

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