Australia’s current Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has announced the granting of an environmental permit for the construction of the world’s largest solar power plant in the country.
According to 3dnews, the project details are expected to be finalized by 2027 and the power plant is expected to be operational in 2030. Australia will use two-thirds of the energy generated to supply three million homes. The rest will be transmitted to Singapore via an underwater cable. This will make Australia a global center for solar energy.
The project is being carried out by local company SunCable and is estimated to cost $24 billion. Environmentalists agreed to the permit only after the developers assured authorities that they would work to protect the habitat of the local chipmunk species – the hare-eared bandicoot.
The solar farm will cover 12,000 hectares in northern Australia. The project budget includes the construction of an 800-kilometre transmission line to Darwin and the laying of a 4,300-kilometre submarine cable to Singapore. The future power plant’s peak output is expected to reach 20 GW, supported by a battery storage system with a capacity of up to 42 GWh. Of the power generated, 4 GW will be provided for Darwin and the surrounding area, while 2 GW will be supplied to Singapore. There is some confusion about the numbers, but they are likely to be gigawatt hours.
The world’s most powerful solar power plant to date was a facility in China with a planned capacity of 8 GW. If Australian authorities keep their promises, they will be able to boast a new global superpower – the world’s most powerful solar energy system.
“This will be the largest solar complex in the world and will make Australia a world leader in green energy,” said Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek.
The submarine cable will be able to meet up to 15% of Singapore’s electricity needs. The project is primarily intended to supply Australia with clean energy. However, Australian scientists have expressed concerns and warned that the country is quickly becoming a dumping ground for discarded solar panels. Despite this, Australia’s political leaders remain firm in their opinion: there will be no nuclear power in the country with its expensive and slow-to-build reactors.
News.Az
