Australia took a step closer to constructing an ambitious plan for a huge solar farm deep in its northern territory, transmitting energy via an undersea cable to Singapore with the government granting approval for the 30 billion Australian dollar ($19 billion) project on Wednesday.
Sun Cable, an Australian firm is planning to construct a 12,400-hectare solar farm and transport electricity overhead over 800 km (497 miles) to Darwin in northern Australia. This will then be directed to large industrial users in Singapore through a submarine cable that spans 4,300 km (2,672 miles).
The Australia-Asia Powerlink aims at delivering up to six gigawatts of green electricity per annum which according to Australian Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek shall “help turn Australia into a renewable energy superpower” and boost its economy.
“This massive project is a generation-defining piece of infrastructure,” said Plibersek in Wednesday’s written statement. “It will be the largest solar precinct in the world – and heralds Australia as the world leader in green energy.”
Australian mining magnate Andrew Forrest and Atlassian co-founder Mike Cannon-Brookes initially supported this project. The plans were discusse by then Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during a state visit as part of a ‘green economy’ accord between both countries entered into in 2022.
In January 2023, Sun Cable went into voluntary administration due to falling out between Forrest and Cannon-Brookes over funding causing collapse of the project. In May that same year, Grok Ventures led a consortium which bought out the company completing the acquisition by September 2023.
“We’re pleased we have managed to clear this major regulatory hurdle,” said SunCable’s managing director Cameron Garnsworthy, adding that “the company would now concentrate on moving forward with planning towards achieving Final Investment Decision anticipated by 2027.”
They anticipate that electricity will be available in the early 2030s.
Energy has been a politically divisive issue for almost twenty years in Australia, which relies on coal and gas as well as royalties from exporting such fuels to underpin its economy.
Hence historically, it is one of the worst per capita emitters of greenhouse gases globally due to this reliance on fossil fuels.
Australia’s main opposition party announced plans in June to construct the country’s first nuclear power plants by 2035 at the latest with neither of the major parties expected to agree on how Australia should cut its greenhouse gas emissions before elections expected within a year.
Such a consensus has not prevailed since 2007 between parties at any election regarding carbon reduction policies.
“Australians have a choice between a renewable energy transition that’s already underway creating jobs and driving down prices; or paying for an expensive nuclear fantasy that may never happen,” Plibersek said.
