Global’s ‘Greatest Sun Precinct’ Licensed by means of Australia

NEWCASTLE, Australia — An determined plan to assemble a large sun farm in faraway northern Australia that will transmit power by means of submarine cable to Singapore is a step nearer nearest the Australian executive granted environmental approvals for the 30 billion Australian greenback ($19 billion) mission Wednesday.

Australian corporate Solar Cable plans to assemble a 12,400-hectare sun farm and delivery electrical energy to the northern Australian town of Darwin by way of an 800-kilometer (497-mile) overhead transmission layout, upcoming directly to large-scale business shoppers in Singapore via a 4,300-kilometer (2,672-mile) submarine cable.

The Australia-Asia PowerLink mission goals in order as much as six gigawatts of inexperienced electrical energy each and every past, which in step with Australian Surrounding Minister Tanya Plibersek will “help turn Australia into a renewable energy superpower” and spice up its economic system.

“This massive project is a generation-defining piece of infrastructure,” Plibersek said in a written statement on Wednesday. “It will be the largest solar precinct in the world – and heralds Australia as the world leader in green energy.”

The project was initially backed by Australian mining magnate Andrew Forrest and Atlassian co-founder Mike Cannon-Brookes. The plans were highlighted during a state visit by then Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as part of a ’ Green Economy ’ agreement in 2022.

In January 2023, the project collapsed when Sun Cable entered voluntary administration due to a funding dispute between Forrest and Cannon-Brookes. By May of that year, a consortium led by Cannon-Brookes’ Grok Ventures acquired the company, finalizing the takeover in September 2023.

SunCable Australia’s managing director Cameron Garnsworthy said it was pleased to have cleared a major regulatory hurdle “and will now focus its efforts on the next stage of planning to advance the project towards a Final Investment Decision targeted by 2027.”

The corporate stated electrical energy provide would begin within the early 2030s.

Power has been a politically charged factor for almost twenty years in Australia, which is reliant on coal and fuel in addition to royalties from exporting the ones fuels to backup underpin its economic system.

This reliance on fossil fuels has traditionally made it some of the international’s worst greenhouse fuel emitters on a in line with capita foundation.

Australia’s major opposition birthday celebration in June introduced plans to assemble the country’s first nuclear power plants as early as 2035, making sure the key events will probably be divided on how Australia curbs its greenhouse fuel emissions at elections due inside of a past.

The events haven’t long gone to an election with the similar carbon aid insurance policies since 2007.

“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 stated.