SunCable gets conditional nod to import solar power

Brisbane, Australia - SunCable has received conditional approval from Singapore to import green electricity from a giga-scale solar and wind generation precinct located 800 km south of Darwin, in Australia’s Northern Territory.

The massive AAPowerLink project aims to supply 1.75 GW of electricity via a 4,300-km HVDC link utilizing cutting-edge subsea cables, meeting approximately 9% of Singapore’s electricity needs. The approval from Singapore follows the August 2024 environmental approval granted to the project by the Australian Government. Spanning a 2,000-km footprint, it’s the country’s largest approval ever issued.

Hatch, a global engineering, project delivery, and professional services firm, is assisting SunCable as a key technical support partner, developing the design and delivery strategy for the end-to-end, high-voltage transmission system. Much of this system is based on state-of-the-art HVDC technology, including 800 km of overhead line between the renewable generation and energy storage precinct in Powell Creek north to Darwin, and onwards via a 4,300-km subsea cable system to Singapore.

HVDC technology, with its inherently lower transmission system losses, ability to connect asynchronous grids, and narrower transmission corridor requirement (relative to high voltage alternating current), typically provides the most sustainable and financially viable means of transmitting bulk power over long distances.

The electricity supply to Singapore is expected to start after 2035, with the first phase of the project also supplying about 900 MW of renewable power to industrial estates in Darwin from 2032. The AAPowerLink project supports Singapore’s clean electricity import target of 6 GW and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. The project has been deemed technically and commercially viable by Singapore’s Energy Market Authority. SunCable plans to sign long-term power purchase agreements with corporate buyers in Singapore and aims to reach a final investment decision in 2027. SunCable has already invested US$170 million in the project.

This is a monumental step forward for the AAPowerLink project, which hopes to build a brighter, more sustainable future for the people and businesses of Australia, Singapore, and Indonesia.

To learn more about SunCable’s AAPowerLink project visit Our Projects | SunCable.

For more information, please contact: 
Lindsay Janca 
Global Director, Public Relations 
Tel: +1 905 403 4199 
Email: media@hatch.com

About Hatch

Hatch is a global engineering, project delivery, and professional services firm. Whatever our clients envision, our teams can design and build. With over six decades of business and technical experience in the mining, energy, and infrastructure sectors, we know your business and understand that your challenges are changing rapidly. We respond quickly with solutions that are smarter, more efficient and innovative. We draw upon our 10,000 staff with experience in over 150 countries to challenge the status quo and create positive change for our clients, our employees, and the communities we serve.

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