Manufacturing growth in Queensland is set to accelerate after Siemens announced a major expansion of its Fusesaver manufacturing facility, with the investment expected to nearly quadruple the site’s footprint, double its workforce and generate more than $300 million in additional exports over the next decade.
In a news release, the company said the facility will expand from 1,400 square metres to 5,500 square metres in a new location, supporting increased production of its Fusesaver product, which was originally developed in Queensland and is now deployed in more than 35 countries.
Siemens said the expansion reinforces its long-term commitment to Australian innovation, advanced manufacturing and the global energy transition.
The Fusesaver device, described by Siemens as the world’s fastest medium-voltage vacuum circuit-breaker, operates in around 10 milliseconds and is designed to reduce the risk of bushfires caused by fallen power lines while improving network reliability.
Siemens said the technology has helped reduce sustained electricity outages by up to 80 percent in rural networks, equating to around 760,000 hours of avoided outages, and has also contributed to eliminating the need for up to 38 million kilometres of travel for network repairs, with potential savings of more than 10,000 tonnes of CO? emissions.
Queensland Minister for Finance, Trade, Employment and Training Ros Bates said the investment highlights the state’s manufacturing capability. “Queensland is open for business, and this investment reinforces the State’s position as a leader in advanced manufacturing and innovation,” Bates said.
“It demonstrates the strong outcomes that can be achieved when global companies invest in local capability, creating jobs, strengthening exports and delivering economic benefits for our state.”
Siemens also said the expansion will support ongoing production of the Compact Modular Recloser, another Queensland-developed product exported globally.
Peter Halliday said the expansion reflects the company’s long-term focus on innovation and sustainability. “It’s another chapter in our story and Australia’s story to create a positive impact on the world – right here from Queensland,” Halliday said. “Our people are smart and resourceful and through technology and innovation we can have a big impact on the world.”
Dr Brett Watson said the project demonstrates the potential of locally developed technology at global scale.
“Fusesaver started with a simple but ambitious question… The answer required bringing together Australian ingenuity with world-leading Siemens technology from Berlin to create a product that simply didn’t exist before,” he said.
He added that growing global demand has been driven by utilities focusing on network resilience, bushfire risk reduction and renewable energy integration, with the technology now manufactured in Queensland and exported worldwide.
The expansion also continues to support deployment of Fusesaver in markets including the United States, Brazil, the United Kingdom and Australia, where utilities such as Powercor use the technology to improve network reliability and reduce bushfire risks.
