For decades Australia has exported fossil fuels to Asia to fire the continent’s economic growth. But as Asia transitions away from coal and gas, Australia is pivoting towards clean energy exports. One of the most exciting projects on that front is the Australia-Asia power link.
It is the world’s largest solar and storage project, which will generate power from Australia’s sun-drenched Northern Territory and pipe it to Singapore via a 3,800 kilometre electrical cable along the sea floor. If successful, the US$22 billion project could help break Singapore’s dependence on natural gas and meet up to 15 per cent of the city-state’s electricity needs. It could also boost renewables uptake in the Northern Territory and set an example for similar renewable energy exports in other parts of the world.
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The mission is to take large-scale renewable electricity where it is abundant [Australia] and take it to places where it’s less abundant [Singapore]. We want to fix grid connectivity in Asia.
Fraser Thompson, co-founder, chief strategy office, Sun Cable
Fraser Thompson, co-founder and chief strategy officer, Sun Cable
Joining the Eco-Business podcast to talk about this hugely ambitious endeavour is Fraser Thompson, co-founder and chief strategy officer of Sun Cable, the project’s developer.
Tune in as we talk about:
- The lowdown on the world’s biggest solar project
- The US$22 billion fundraising challenge. Who’s investing?
- The environmental impact of the world’s longest electrical cable.
- Can cross-border clean energy connectivity work in Asia?
- If COP26 climate talks will help, or hinder, renewable energy growth.
