An achievement of major significance has been made in the field of renewable energy. SunCable has received the primary environmental approval from the Northern Territory Government of Australia and NT Environment Protection Authority for the development of Australia-Asia Power Link (AAPowerLink) project. This approval is a key milestone that will trigger development on commercial and engineering activities that should be enough to take us to a Final Investment Decision (FID) phase.
The AAPowerLink was announced in a press release on July 16 with the vision of creating the largest renewable energy precinct in the world, located in the Barkly region of NT. The project will be implemented in two phases: one that will supply up to 4 Gigawatts (GW) of green power to Darwin’s industrial customers (900 Megawatts (MW) in Stage 1 and about 3 GW in Stage 2) and another that will deliver 1.75 GW to Singapore customers through a 4,300 km subsea cable.
SunCable anticipates reaching FID by 2027 and beginning electricity supply in the early 2030s. The AAPowerLink will comprise a large-scale solar farm, energy storage, and transmission system, providing renewable electricity to the NT and exporting it to Singapore. The solar precinct, spanning 12,000 hectares in the Barkly region, will generate 17-20 GW (peak) from solar photovoltaic (PV) arrays, significantly outpacing the capacity of Australia’s largest power station, Loy Yang.
The project includes energy storage capacity of 36-42 GW hours and an 800 km High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) overhead transmission line connecting the solar precinct to Murrumujuk, northeast of Darwin. Murrumujuk will host the converter site, transitioning electricity from HVDC to High-Voltage Alternating Current (HVAC) for Darwin’s connection, then back to HVDC for transmission to Singapore.
A subsea HVDC cable will extend from the Darwin Converter Station to the Indonesian border, projecting over USD 13.5 billion (AUD 20 billion) in economic value for the NT over 35 years. The AAPowerLink aligns with Australia’s goals for northern economic development and a carbon-reduced energy transition, potentially lowering electricity prices in Darwin, cutting greenhouse gas emissions, and fostering a renewable electricity export industry.
SunCable’s managing director, Cameron Garnsworthy, emphasized the project’s potential to stimulate green industrial growth in NT, including green minerals, hydrogen, e-fuels, and data centers. The broader economic benefits include increased activity from supportive industries and new investments leveraging lower energy costs.