German battery company, sonnen has received two industry leading accreditations as a South Australian manufacturer, including the well-known Australian Made badge and recognition from the Office of the Industry Advocate (OIA) as a manufacturer of South Australian products.
The milestone comes almost a year after the official opening of the assembly and manufacturing facility at the site of the old Holden factory.
Minister for Energy and Mining Dan van Holst Pellekaan welcomed the news that sonnen had received highly regarded industry credentials as a South Australian manufacturer, bolstering the local industry and creating new jobs for people in our state.
“Home batteries are gaining momentum in South Australia as consumers are empowered to generate and store their own electricity, reducing their power bills,” said the Minister.
“The Home Battery Scheme is an Australian-first. Our reputation in clean energy transition has paved the way for international companies like sonnen to set up advanced battery manufacturing in our state.
“This factory is creating jobs for South Australians across this sector which is constantly gaining momentum.
“sonnen began with 39 employees in November 2018 and now has 47, and this paints a promising picture for the future of this kind of manufacturing in our state.”
The sonnenBatterie eco 9.53 hybrid battery was given approval as Australian Made by meeting the criteria set out in the Australian Consumer Law and the Australian Made, Australian Grown (AMAG) Code of Practice.
sonnen has produced 2,000 batteries locally at their facility in Elizabeth since commencing production in South Australia in November 2018.
As a result of the government’s Home Battery Scheme (HBS) launching in October last year, sonnen has installed over 500 sonnenBatteries under the HBS in the past 12 months.
Located at the old Holden factory in Elizabeth, the facility was built to scale for the production and export of batteries to the Asia Pacific region and has the potential to produce 12,000 batteries per year.
sonnen Managing Director of Australia, Nathan Dunn said that Australia is going through a significant clean energy transition.
“Home owners are increasingly aware about the benefits of home batteries in reducing their bills and being able to rely on the solar energy they have generated during the day”, said Mr Dunn.
“As we continue to identify new markets in Asia with export potential for certified Australian Made sonnenBatteries, sonnen will look to increase the manufacturing of our home batteries”, said Mr Dunn.
The company was founded in 2010 and operates in numerous countries around the world. It manufactures home batteries in Wildpoldsried, Germany; Atlanta, Georgia; and Adelaide, South Australia.
