'Sun King' bids for solar funding

Australian
10 January 2011, Page: 4

THE "Sun King", Chinese-born Zhengrong S hi, who is worth about $4 billion and is one of the world's wealthiest men, is behind a bid for $300 million in federal funding to build the first commercial solar farm in NSW. Mr Shi, a graduate of the University of New South Wales, is one of four directors of Infigen Energy Suntech Power one of seven companies competing for federal funding under round one of the government's $1.5bn Solar Flagships Program.

Infigen Energy Suntech Power's proposal is for crystalline-silicon solar photovoltaic energy farms at three sites in NSW and Victoria, generating a combined 195MW of power to go back into the grid. The NSW government yesterday gave planning approval for one of the sites, at Nyng an in northwestern NSW, where Infigen Energy Suntech Power plans to build a $300m solar farm covering 200ha.

The farm will feature 70 blocks, placed between lm and 3m off the ground, with a combined 300,000 solar photovoltaic panels. The state government planning approval pre-empts a final decision by the federal government, expected in June, on which project will receive funding under the Solar Flagships Program. Dr Shi's story is the classic rags to riches tale.

Born in China to a poverty stricken family, Dr Shi was adopted out as a boy. After receiving his masters degree in Shanghai, Dr Shi, then aged 23, enrolled in the University of New South Wales's School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering. While studying for his doctorate degree on solar power technology, he worked in cafes to pay his rent.

He became an Australian citizen and stayed in the country for 14 years, working in solar research, before returning to China and starting up Suntech Power. He is now known as the "Sun King". In November last year, Dr Shi was photographed alongside actress Cate Blanchett when he and his wife, Vivienne, made a $2m donation to the Sydney Theatre Company to install solar panels along its harbourside roof.

The Solar Flagships Program was designed to support the construction of up to four solar power plants across the country. The seven shortlisted applicants each received a slice of $15m in feasibility funding last May.