Australia's Northern Territory gives major status award to 10 GW Australia-Singapore Power Link

The Northern Territory Government is supporting job-creating private sector investment in the Territory, awarding Major Project Status to Sun Cable's Australia-Singapore Power Link (ASPL).

The proposed Australia-Singapore Power Link is an AUD20 billion (US$14.2 billion, 10-gigawatt solar farm and a 20-30 gigawatt-hour storage facility near Tennant Creek. It will supply loads in the Darwin and Singapore markets via a high voltage direct current transmission.

This is the largest solar farm under development in the world. The Tennant Creek region has one of the highest solar irradiance resources on the planet, making it a perfect location for the proposed solar farm.

The project will seek to supply long term, competitive, stably priced renewable electricity to the Darwin and Singapore markets. Integrating the ASPL into the developing ASEAN power grid will also be assessed in the detail during the development phase.

This project has the potential to create 1000 jobs during the construction phase and 300 operational jobs.

The project is already engaging local contractors and will seek to manufacture prefabricated solar farm technology in Darwin and Adelaide.

A Project Development Agreement (PDA) will now be negotiated between the NT Government and Sun Cable Pty Ltd. The PDA will provide the framework for Sun Cable and the Northern Territory Government to work together in progressing the ASPL through the required approvals processes. Sun Cable will be required to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and a Territory Benefit Plan.