Sun Cable, the Singapore-based consortium handling the world's largest electricity infrastructure project, also known as the $ 22 billion Australia-ASEAN Power Link (AAPL), announced this week that it had signed up with the Development Consent Authority of the Northern Territory had applied for a facility in the US the region's capital, Darwin. This facility manufactures Maverick solar systems, developed by Sydney-based 5B, which is made up of renewable energy experts.
The AAPL project includes the construction of a 14 GW solar park and battery storage system with a capacity of around 33 GWh near Elliot in the Barkly region of the Northern Territory. It is planned to export the electricity generated on the farm to Singapore via HVDC cables in addition to domestic use. 5B's pre-built, pre-wired Maverick system enables faster and more cost-effective deployment than traditional solar systems. Sun Cable announced that in the first phase of the planned production plant, a semi-automatic production line will be piloted, which offers the possibility of supplying other solar parks in Northern Australia with the Maverick solar systems.
The second phase will include expanding the facility to manufacture systems for the AAPL and setting up a logistics and distribution center to transport materials and equipment by rail to Sun Cable's proposed 14 GW solar farm on a 12,000 acre site can be Powell Creek. A statement said: “This application is an important step in the further development of the Australia-ASEAN Power Link (AAPL). a solar energy infrastructure network that will provide Darwin and Singapore with affordable, high-volume, high-volume renewable electricity from 2026 and 2027, respectively. ”
The consortium plans to build the Maverick manufacturing facility in Darwin's East Arm Business Park, as the site is close to Darwin Harbor, Alice Springs and Darwin Railway Station. The project is expected to provide electricity to the Darwin region and Singapore via a 4,500 km high voltage direct current network, including a 750 km overhead line from the Powell Creek solar farm to Darwin and a 3,800 km submarine cable from Darwin via Indonesia to Singapore . The renewable electricity generation of this project, which corresponds to the status of a major project, is expected to supply more than 3 million households with electricity per year.
The development application is a key moment in this large Sun Cable company, which plans to begin construction immediately after the financial close in October 2023 and begin commercial operations in 2027. The company claims the 70-year-old $ 26 billion project would create around 1,500 jobs during construction and 350 jobs while operating. “It will add $ 8 billion to the local economy and generate over $ 1 billion in exports a year. The provision of renewable energies to the NT will support the establishment of sustainable development areas and fuel new low-carbon manufacturing companies, ”the statement said.
David Griffin, CEO of Sun Cable, has indicated in previous interviews that the consortium would like to develop other projects like the AAPL, perhaps even in India. A target of 450 GW set for 2030 implies that a solar energy project of this size could also be possible here.