Australia To Build 'world's Largest Solar Hub' for $24 Billion

Agence France-Presse reported that the Australian government approved renewable energy company SunCable to invest 24 billion Australian dollars (about 115.3 billion yuan) in Australia's Northern Territory to build "the world's largest solar energy center" to supply power to Australia and Singapore. Australia's Minister for Environment and Water, Prebsek, described the plan as "generation defining infrastructure", "the largest solar zone in the world and heralding Australia's position as a world leader in green energy".

According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), SunCable plans to build a 10-gigawatt, 124-square-kilometer solar power plant in Elliott, Northern Territory, and send power to Darwin via 800 kilometers of overhead transmission lines, and then to Singapore via undersea cables. Production is expected to begin in 2030.

The project is expected to create 1,750 jobs during construction and 350 jobs during its 70 years of operation.

SunCable was founded in 2018 and works in Australia and Singapore. Still, SunCable's plans face significant uncertainty. First, SunCable still needs to communicate with the Energy Market Authority of Singapore and the Indonesian government on the next steps of the project, as well as negotiate indigenous land use agreements with various owners' groups in Australia along the transmission line.

Singapore's Energy Market Authority said in a statement that it was "in discussions with SunCable regarding its proposal to provide electricity to Singapore," without giving further details. The project is expected to deliver 2 GW of electricity to Singapore annually via undersea cables, meeting about 15% of the country's electricity needs. In addition, the project is subject to strict nature conservation provisions. Australian energy experts are also skeptical about the profitability of the project itself. Mr. Mount, the Australian energy expert, said it would be difficult to make money on the project in the long term.

China leads the world in clean energy, producing nearly twice as much wind and solar power as the rest of the world combined. In contrast, Australia remains one of the world's leading exporters of coal and gas. Although Australia is one of the world's most enthusiastic adopters of solar panels for home use, the Australian government has been hesitant to adopt renewable energy. According to the latest government data, renewable energy will account for 32% of Australia's total electricity generation by 2022, while coal will account for 47%.

Source: Global Times special correspondent in Australia Da Qiao Global Times special correspondent Xiao Zhendong