Singapore's energy regulator Energy Market Authority (EMA) has granted conditional approval to Australian firm Sun Cable to import 1.75GW of low-carbon electricity from Australia into Singapore, EMA said today.
The conditional approval "recognises that Sun Cable's [Australia-Asia PowerLink renewable generation and transmission] project can be technically and commercially viable," said Singapore's second minister for trade and industry, Tan See Leng, adding that the approval will facilitate the continued development of Sun Cable's project. Sun Cable's planned commercial operation is expected to be after 2035.
Sun Cable will need to validate its technical and commercial plans further to advance the project, as well as secure all requisite approvals from relevant jurisdictions, including countries through which subsea cables will pass.
The conditional approval is a step forward in helping Australia "export clean, cheap renewables generated in Australia directly to southeast Asia," said the country's minister for climate change and energy, Chris Bowen on 22 October at the Singapore International Energy Week. The project will be a "meaningful complement to the Asean power grid" when it is completed, Tan added.
The project, which involves up to 5.75GW of solar power capacity in Northern Australia and the potential export to Singapore via a 4,300km subsea cable, also received federal environmental approval in August.
Low-carbon electricity imports are part of Singapore's overall strategy to decarbonise the power sector, which currently accounts for 40pc of its carbon emissions. EMA is seeking to import around 6GW of low-carbon electricity by 2035. The authority has so far secured 2GW of conditional licences for imports from Indonesia, 3.6GW of conditional approvals comprising 1.4GW from Indonesia, 1GW from Cambodia and 1.2GW from Vietnam.
