Suncable links solar power between Australia and Singapore
Australia has just approved to build the world’s largest solar energy and battery farm in order to export energy to Singapore. The project, which will include an array of panels, batteries and, over time an undersea cable linking Australia with Singapore, is backed by tech billionaire and eco activist Mike Cannon-Brookes.
SunCable‘s US$24 billion project is slated for Australia’s remote north and will power three million homes in the first stage of deployment.
“It will be the largest solar precinct in the world –- and heralds Australia as the world leader in green energy,” said Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek. Energy production is expected to start in 2030 with four gigawatts of energy for domestic use.
Two extra gigawatts would be sent to Singapore via an undersea cable, supplying about 15 percent of the city-state’s needs.
SunCable Australia’s managing director Cameron Garnsworthy said the approval was “a landmark moment in the project’s journey”.
SunCable’s first project, AAPowerLink, will harness and store renewable energy from one of the most reliably sunny and windy places – Australia’s Northern Territory –for 24/7 transmission to Darwin and Singapore.
This new project is a sign of the times as countries around the world move away from oil-based and polluting fossil fuels. Germany, for instance, decommissioned its last nuclear reactor last year in 2023 as nuclear is very problematic due to the radioactive energy it emits. Even oil-leaders such as Saudi Arabia says it wants to transition away from fossil fuels.
Author: Karin Kloosterman
Karin Kloosterman is an award-winning journalist, innovation strategist, and founder of Green Prophet, one of the Middle East’s pioneering sustainability platforms. She has ranked in the Top 10 of Verizon innovation competitions, participated in NASA-linked challenges, and spoken worldwide on climate, food security, and future resilience. With an IoT technology patent, features in Canada’s National Post, and leadership inside teams building next-generation agricultural and planetary systems — including Mars-farming concepts — Karin operates at the intersection of storytelling, science, and systems change. She doesn’t report on the future – she helps design it. Reach out directly to [email protected]
