Australia could soon power Singapore with solar energy via a massive undersea cable. 

The $35 billion SunCable project, led by Atlassian co-founder Mike Cannon-Brookes, aims to build the world’s largest solar and battery farm in Australia’s Northern Territory and connect it to Singapore through a 4,300-kilometre submarine transmission line.

Cannon-Brookes has called the project an effort to “stretch our country’s ambition”, helping Australia become a major player in global renewable energy. 

However, the project has faced criticism for being overly ambitious and financially risky. Doubts peaked in 2023 when SunCable entered administration after a clash between Cannon-Brookes and fellow investor Andrew Forrest, who withdrew support for the project’s Darwin-Singapore link. 

Cannon-Brookes’ firm, Grok Ventures, quickly reassembled a consortium to buy back SunCable, reaffirming its commitment to delivering clean energy to both Darwin and Southeast Asia.

Last week, Singapore's Energy Market Authority granted SunCable conditional approval to export low-carbon electricity from Australia. 

Grok’s Chief Investment Officer, Jeremy Kwong-Law, has described the decision as proof that “we are definitely in the game”.

Singapore, reliant on natural gas for 95 per cent of its power, aims to import six gigawatts of low-carbon energy by the mid-2030s. 

While other proposals from countries like Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam are being considered, Kwong-Law believes Australia’s superior solar output makes it uniquely competitive, offering round-the-clock energy compared to the 16-17 hours typical in Southeast Asia.

SunCable's first phase will establish a solar and battery facility near Tennant Creek, alongside an 800-kilometre line to Darwin. 

The second phase involves the extended link to Singapore. 

Grok, in partnership with Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners, expects to finalise investments by 2027, with exports starting by 2035.

Major challenges remain, including the unprecedented length of the proposed underwater cable, which would be six times longer than the current record-holder, the 764-kilometre Viking Link. 

Nonetheless, Grok sees the conditional approval as a milestone for the project.

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