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Australia fast-tracks US$16 billion plan to send solar power to Singapore
- The project aims to link an Australian solar farm to Singapore and Indonesia via a 3,700km undersea cable
- Marine survey work is expected to begin from August
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Australia granted “major project status” to an ambitious A$22 billion (US$16 billion) plan to export power from a giant solar farm in the country’s north to Southeast Asia via undersea cable.
The status recognises the “strategic significance” of the project, which is expected to inject billions of dollars into the economy and create thousands of jobs, Australia’s minister for energy and emissions reduction Angus Taylor said in a statement on Wednesday.
The Australia-Asean Power Link envisions connecting the world’s largest solar farm and battery system in Australia’s Northern Territory to Singapore and Indonesia via a 3,700km undersea cable.
Similar proposals for long-haul, transnational power shipments have been pursued in other regions, including from North Africa to Europe or from Mongolia to Japan and South Korea.
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The high-profile boost by the Australian government contrasts with the relatively muted interest from Singapore, which is expected to be its main customer.
The city state’s Energy Market Authority acknowledged in November that it had spoken with the project’s developer, Sun Cable, but has shown little public appetite in the venture. The EMA did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.
Sun Cable says the project can supply one-fifth of Singapore’s power needs, helping to reduce the city state’s reliance on natural gas imports.
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