The Federal Government has approved Australia’s largest ever renewable energy project, the SunCable Australia-Asia Power Link.
The SunCable, a gigantic industrial solar power project in the Northern Territory, has received environmental approvals to proceed.
With a planned capacity of up to 4 gigawatts (GW), the solar farm is expected to generate enough renewable energy to power 3 million homes.
SunCable Australia’s Managing Director Cameron Garnsworthy said this was a landmark moment in the project’s journey.
“SunCable is pleased to receive Commonwealth Government approval under the EPBC Act, following four years of extensive assessment and public consultation with stakeholders around Australia,” he said.
“SunCable is a company founded on a vision to help decarbonise the planet.”
Garnsworthy added that the announcement is a vote of confidence in the project and SunCable itself as responsible stewards of the local Northern Territory environment.
“SunCable will now focus its efforts on the next stage of planning to advance the project towards a Final Investment Decision targeted by 2027,” he said.
Estimated to deliver over $20 billion in economic value to the region, the project is anticipated to support an average of 6800 direct and indirect jobs annually during the construction phase, with a peak workforce of 14,300.
Spanning 12,000 hectares on a pastoral station between Elliot and Tennant Creek, the solar farm will also include an 800km transmission line to Darwin and an underwater cable to the end of Australian waters, facilitating the potential export of renewable solar power to Singapore.
While the project promises substantial economic benefits, strict conditions have been imposed to protect nature, including requirements to completely avoid impacting important species like the Greater Bilby and their critical habitats.
Tanya Plibersek, Federal Minister for the Environment and Water, described the project as “a generation-defining piece of infrastructure”.
“It will be the largest solar precinct in the world – and heralds Australia as the world leader in green energy,” she said.
“The energy generated by this project is almost six times the amount of energy a 700MW large nuclear reactor could deliver, based on IEAA figures.
“Not only will this project help turn Australia into a renewable energy superpower, it will be a huge boost for the Northern Territory economy.”
Source; Ecogeneration-Zihan (Fred) Zhang-21 August 2024