Renewables developer SunCable announced it has secured environmental approval under the federal government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act for its Australia-Asia Power Link (AAPowerLink) project.
The federal approval follows last month’s environmental approval granted by the Northern Territory government and NT Environment Protection Authority.
SunCable is planning to develop a giant solar and battery energy storage complex on a 12,000-hectare site at Powell Creek in the Northern Territory’s Barkly region and transmit the renewable energy via a high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission line to the Darwin region and then on to Singapore via a subsea HVDC cable.
The AAPowerLink project was to include 20 GW of solar and up to 42 GWh of battery energy storage but the initial focus appears has now shifted to deliver up to 6 GW of green electricity in two stages: 900 MW in Stage 1 and an additional 3 GW in Stage 2 for Darwin, and 1.75 GW to customers in Singapore.
The environmental approval relates to the first stage of the project. It also includes an 800 km HVDC transmission line running from the solar precinct to near Darwin and a converter site, and a subsea HVDC cable to the limit of Australian waters.
Sun Cable said the environmental approvals means it can move ahead with the next phases of engineering, development, and commercial planning needed to get to a final investment division in 2027. Electricity production is expected to commence in the early 2030s.
“Today’s announcement is a vote of confidence in the project and SunCable itself as responsible stewards of the local Northern Territory environment,” SunCable Australia’s Managing Director Cameron Garnsworthy said.
“SunCable will now focus its efforts on the next stage of planning to advance the project towards a final investment decision targeted by 2027.”
Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek the project will be economically and socially transformational for the Northern Territory
“This massive project is 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.
“Not only will this project help turn Australia into a renewable energy superpower, it will be a huge boost for the Northern Territory economy.”
SunCable estimates the project will deliver more than $20 billion (USD 13.5 billion) in economic value to the Territory during the construction period and first 35 years of operation and support an average of 6,800 direct and indirect jobs for each year of the construction phase, with a peak workforce of 14,300.
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