Singapore grants conditional approval for 1.75 GW of Aussie power imports

Solar energy will be transported to the city-state via subsea cables.

Singapore’s Energy Market Authority (EMA) has granted its conditional approval for the importation of 1.75 gigawatt (GW) of low-carbon electricity from Australia into Singapore via Sun Cable's Australia-Asia PowerLink (AAPowerLink).

EMA said the imported electricity will be generated from solar power in Australia’s Northern Territory and transmitted to Singapore via subsea cables spanning around 4,300 kilometres.

AAPowerLink, which is set to be the world’s largest solar farm and battery storage infrastructure, will supply 1.75 GW of power after 2035. This represents around nine percent of Singapore's total electricity needs. 

The granting of the conditional approval shows that the project can be technically and commercially viable based on the proposal and information submitted thus far. This will also support the company in the development of the project to meet its target commercial operation date after 2035.

To be considered for an award of conditional licence, Sun Cable will have to update its proposal. This includes compliance with EMA’s technical requirements and achieving a commercially viable price acceptable to customers, and securing all requisite approvals of relevant jurisdictions, including countries which the cables will pass through.

Importing low-carbon electricity is a key part of Singapore's plan to reduce emissions from the power sector, which currently accounts for 40% of our carbon footprint. EMA aims to import about 6 GW of low-carbon electricity by 2035.

EMA has so far granted 2 GW of conditional licences for electricity imports from Indonesia, and 3.6 GW of conditional approvals for imports from Indonesia, Cambodia, and Vietnam. If realised, these will collectively tap on a diverse mix of solar energy, hydropower and wind power as well as contribute to the implementation of the ASEAN Power Grid.