World’s largest solar farm to power 3 million homes, send energy to Singapore

In a major move towards establishing Australia as a renewable energy leader, its government has approved a massive new industrial solar project in the Northern Territory.

The industrial solar project, touted as the “world’s largest solar precinct”, will generate enough energy to power 3 million homes.

According to Australia’s environment minister Tanya Plibersek, the project will feature solar panels, batteries, and eventually, a cable connecting Australia to Singapore, aiming to export surplus energy.

“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,” said Plibersek, in a statement .

Australia-Asia solar link

The 12,000-hectare (29,650-acre) Australia-Asia Power Link project, located in Australia’s sun-drenched Northern Territory, will be installed by renewable energy firm SunCable. Tech millionaire and environmentalist Mike Cannon-Brookes is a backer of the project.

According to SunCable, the project will economically benefit the Northern Territory by more than $20 billion and create an average of 6,800 direct and indirect employment annually during the building period, with a peak workforce of 14,300. The figure is calculated based on the construction period and the first 35 years of operation.

The solar farm project is located on a pastoral station between Elliot and Tennant Creek. The permit also includes an underwater cable to the edge of Australian waters and a 497-mile (800 km) transmission line to Darwin.

According to the minister, the approval includes strict guidelines to safeguard the environment, including the need to fully avoid significant species like the Greater Bilby and vital habitat.

The project will produce four gigawatts of electricity per hour for home use. The two additional gigawatts that will be delivered by underwater cable to Singapore will meet about 15 percent of the city-state’s needs. About 40 gigawatts could be stored in batteries.

The project is anticipated to receive a Final Investment Decision (FID) in 2027, and the electricity supply will start in the early 2030s.

Renewables surge

Despite Australians being some of the most eager adopters of household solar panels globally, successive governments have been hesitant to fully commit to renewable energy, reports The Australian .

In 2022, renewables accounted for 32 percent of Australia’s total electricity generation, while coal still dominated at 47 percent, according to the latest government data.

Australia is also one of the largest exporters of coal and gas in the world, but a string of recent natural calamities, such as floods and bushfires, has led the new government to move towards greener sources of energy generation.

“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. We have no idea what the equivalent to Peter Dutton’s anti-renewables nuclear plan might be because there are no details other than it being too slow and too expensive Australia,” said Plibersek.

The new Australian government has launched 55 renewable energy projects in two years, enough to power almost 7 million homes.

“Not only will this project help turn Australia into a renewable energy superpower, it will be a huge boost for the Northern Territory economy,” said Plibersek.