SunCable has obtained environmental approval from the Northern Territory Government and the NT Environment Protection Authority for its Australia-Asia Power Link (AAPowerLink) project. This project aims to establish the world’s largest renewable energy park in the Barkly region, Northern Territory.
The AAPowerLink project plans to supply up to 4 GW of green electricity continuously to industrial customers in Darwin and 1.75 GW to Singapore via a 4,300 km submarine cable. This project will take place in two phases, with 900 MW delivered to Darwin in the first phase and an additional 3 GW of capacity in the second phase. Furthermore, Australia wants to accelerate its energy transition, as evidenced by the budget announced for the period 2024-2025.
A Pioneering Project for Australia
Obtaining this approval allows SunCable to progress towards the Final Investment Decision (FID) expected in 2027. This step is crucial to moving forward with the development, commercial and engineering activities necessary to complete the project.
SunCable aims to transform the Northern Territory into a renewable energy production hub, developing world-class energy resources to supply customers with green electricity.
Economic and Societal Impacts
The project is expected to generate more than AUD20 billion in economic value for the Northern Territory during the construction period and the first 35 years of operation. On average, the project will support 6,800 direct and indirect jobs each year during the construction phase, peaking at 14,300 jobs.
The environmental approval covers key project infrastructure, including a 10 GW solar generation and storage site at Powell Creek, an 800 km transmission line, and a conversion site in Darwin to transport the electricity to Singapore.
Next steps
With this approval, SunCable can now move forward with Indigenous Land Use Agreement negotiations with traditional owners, develop a second production site to reach 4 GW in Darwin, and explore the integration of wind generation to reduce costs energy.
SunCable has worked closely with regulators and governments to meet the conditions of this approval, including four territory-wide public comment periods since 2020.
The AAPowerLink project, which achieved Major Projects status with the Northern Territory Government in 2019 and with the Commonwealth Government in 2020, is now ready for the next phase of its development.
This article is originally published on energynews.pro
