Federal government approves SunCable solar farm for the Barkly

The SunCable project has received federal government approval, clearing the last Australian regulatory hurdle for the development to proceed. Find out what this means.

The SunCable project has received federal government approval, clearing the last Australian regulatory hurdle for the development to proceed.

Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek announced on Wednesday she had approved development of SunCable’s proposed solar farm under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.

It follows last month’s approval by the NT government and Environment Protection Authority.

SunCable’s so-called Australia-Asia Power Link will produce electricity generated at the solar farm, proposed to be built at Powell Creek in the Barkly region, for domestic and international use.

Minister for the Environment and Water of Australia, Tanya Plibersek during Question Time at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

SunCable wants to produce 4GW of firmed power for domestic industrial purposes and 1.75GW for export to Singapore via a sub-sea cable.

The approval also includes an 800km transmission line to Darwin and a 4300km underwater cable to Singapore.

Ms Plibersek said the “massive” project would be a “generation-defining piece of infrastructure” and transform Australia into a “renewable energy superpower”.

“It will be the largest solar precinct in the world and heralds Australia as the world leader in green energy,” Ms Plibersek said. “It will mean more than 14,300 new jobs in northern Australia, and it will turbocharge our research and manufacturing capacity in renewable technology.”

SunCable’s Cameron Garnsworthy.

The solar farm project will require clearing at least 120,000ha of land in the Barkly as well as more for the transmission lines and at the proposed Darwin converter site at Murrumujuk near Glyde Point.

SunCable Australia’s Managing Director Cameron Garnsworthy said this was a landmark moment for the project.

“SunCable is pleased to receive Commonwealth Government approval under the EPBC Act, following four years of extensive assessment and public consultation with stakeholders around Australia,” he said.

“SunCable is a company founded on a vision to help decarbonise the planet. Today’s announcement is a vote of confidence in the project and SunCable itself as responsible stewards of the local Northern Territory environment.”

The company is hoping to achieve final investment decision by 2027, with electricity flowing from the early 2030s.

SunCable was placed in administration in January 2023 after its main proponents Andrew Forrest and Mike Cannon-Brookes fell out about how best to continue with the development.

Mr Cannon-Brooks wanted to pursue the Singapore option and Mr Forrest wanted to limit the development to the solar farm, with Grok tycoon Cannon-Brookes winning out.

The AA-Power Link has federal and NT government major project status.

The approval comes weeks after the federal government permanently blocked development of the Jabiluka uranium resource, which could have pumped billions of dollars into the Territory and national economies.