Australia's Nuclear Future, page-513

Good project and hopefully financially viable to sell power to Singers.

One caveat. I hope they locate it in an area that has never, ever had hail. It must be hail proof AND of course stubby proof!

SunCable receives environmental approval formassive solar project

SunCable's project to develop "the world'slargest renewable energy precinct" in the remote Northern Territory hasreceived crucial environmental approvals, but a final investment decision onthe $30 billion-plus project is not expected until 2027.

The company plans to build a 10gigawatt, 12,400-hectare solar farm near Elliott and transport electricity to Darwin via an 800-kilometre overhead transmission line, then on to Singapore through a subsea cable.

On Tuesday, the NT government approved the project, followingrecommendations from the NT Environment Protection Authority (NTEPA).

"The principal environmental approval is a huge milestone for theproject," SunCable NT regional director Jett Street said.

"It enables the project to progress with the different developmentactivities that will take it to a final investment decision in 2027."

NT Environment Minister Kate Worden said the project had "beenthrough a rigorous environmental approval process".

"The SunCable project … will be a great asset to the Territory aswe move towards a renewable energy future," Ms Worden said in a statement.

"This project will deliver thousands of jobs for Territorians andharness one of our greatest assets — the abundance of sunshine."

The project is expected to create 1,750 jobs during construction and 350jobs ongoing over its 70-year operational life, with SunCable claiming it couldgenerate $20 billion in economic value to the NT.

SunCable was taken over by billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes in May 2023,after falling out with former project partner Andrew Forrest.

More approvalsneeded

SunCable still needs to negotiate Indigenous Land Use Agreements with anumber of different traditional owner groups along the transmission line routeto Darwin.

The Northern Land Council said it was supporting traditional owners todeal with SunCable.

"Without going into confidential matters, those negotiations areongoing," the spokesperson said.

SunCable is also investigating adding wind generation to the project anddeveloping a second generation site to supply up to four gigawatts ofelectricity to Darwin.

The company is also looking at how to supply electricity to green energycustomers in the controversial Middle Arm industrial precinct.

Ms Street rejected criticisms that SunCable's energy could be used togreenwash projects at the industrial site near Darwin.

"This is an opportunity for the Northern Territory to be at theforefront of the global energy transition," Ms Street said.

"The projects that we'll be supplying at Middle Arm are newindustries that are critical to reach the decarbonisation and climate changeobjectives of the world."

SunCable said the project could help underpin "a new wave of greenindustrial development in the NT, via prospective projects that include greenminerals, hydrogen, e-fuels, and data centres."

Environmental risksidentified

The NTEPA outlined a number of environmental risks from the project'sdevelopment, mainly surrounding the more than 12,000 hectares needed to becleared for the solar farm.

Emissions from land clearing and construction are expected to totalabout 4.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent but would be carbonneutral after four years and "remain significantly carbon negative for theremainder of the operational life of 70 years", according to a NTEPAassessment.

"The avoided emissions in the NT and Singapore across the life of[project] equate to an estimated combined total of 485 million tonnes of carbondioxide equivalent," the NTEPA's assessment report said.

The report said clearing at the solar farm site could change surfacewater flows in the Lake Woods catchment and potentially impact the threatenedgreater bilby, grey falcon, Gouldian finch, and yellow-spotted monitor.

The NTEPA said with SunCable's proposed measures, the project could bemanaged "in a manner that is environmentally acceptable".