A record-shattering international power supply project is under development, preparing to generate power from a 10-GW solar field in northern Australia and deliver it through 3711 kilometres of undersea cable to Singapore.
The Australia-ASEAN Power Link (AAPL), by Australian firm Sun Cable, is expected to provide dispatchable renewable electricity to the Northern Territory and supply up to 20% of Singapore’s electricity demand. The project, once done (target date the end of 2027) will set world records in three technology groups – the world’s largest battery, the world’s largest solar farm, and a 4,500km high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission system from the solar / storage facility to Darwin, Singapore and eventually Indonesia.
The AAPL solar photovoltaic (PV) plant is a 10 gigawatt array situated close to Elliott in Australia’s Northern Territory, a site considered a world-class solar resource. The associated 30GWh storage facility will support the solar farm’s operations, enabling 24/7 dispatch of power. The electricity will be transmitted to Darwin via a 750 km transmission line, and thence under the ocean, with a surface stop halfway, to Singapore.
The AAPL was awarded Major Project Status by the Northern Territory Government in June 2019.
Community consultation is to begin in late 2020.