Forward Slash podcast: Exporting the sun is our bright future

Australia’s ambitious Sun Cable project represents a generational opportunity for the country to become an exporter­ of renewable energy | LISTEN

Atlassian co-chief executive Mike Cannon-Brookes. Picture: AAP

Australia’s ambitious Sun Cable project, backed by tech billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes, represents a generational opportunity for the country to become an exporter­ of renewable energy, accordin­g to one of the country’s leading energy experts.

Last month the government awarded major-project status to Sun Cable, a project to build a 10-gigawatt solar array in the Northern Territory and send power to Singapore via an undersea cable.

Set to be completed by 2023, the Sun Cable project aims to expor­t energy via a 3800km, high-voltage, direct-current submarine cable and cover 20 per cent of Singapore’s power demand­.

Financially backed by miner Andrew Forrest and Atlassian co-chief executive Mr Cannon-Brookes, it could generate thousands of jobs and is part of what energy consultant Simon Currie said was a lucrative opportunity to position Australia as an energy exporter to Asia.

According to Mr Currie, countries such as Singapore don’t have the ability to create large-scale renewable­ projects, so they’re going to rely on other nations to do it for them.

“What we’re talking about is we have this opportunity right across Australia, to have projects which capture the sun and send it to where it’s needed,” Mr Currie told The Australian’s Forward Slash podcast.

“There is much more than just an opportunity to deliver cheaper power prices to consumers. There is an export play here.”

Tony Wood, energy ­program director at the Grattan Institute, added that Australia should be exporting its renewable energy in the same way it ­exports coal and gas, and using renewable ­energy ­to revitalise the resources sector.

“Australia is a very significant exporter of iron ore,” Mr Wood said.

“Combine that with our metallurgical coal to make iron and steel … We are very good at doing that, our companies are extraordinarily good at extracting those resources.

“However, we don’t think it will make economic sense to export our iron ore, and export our electric­ity, and let someone else turn that into steel.

“And we will almost certainly have a competitive advantage to do this.

“To combine Australian iron ore with Australian renewable electricity, to produce steel, in this country.

“And that’s one of the most ­exciting prospects, not only for Australia continuing to be an ­energy superpower, but also to effectivel­y have a renaissance of manufacturing in this country based upon very competitive electricity.

“And steel, we think, is one of the most prospective and positive opportunities likely to emerge in the next 10 years or so.”

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