Surbana Jurong member company joins expert team to deliver Singapore-Australia solar power link

SINGAPORE: Plans for an upcoming solar project in Australia that can supply up to 15 per cent of Singapore’s electricity needs are gathering pace, with a global expert team assembled to deliver the multi-gigawatt scale project.
 
The A$30 billion (S$30.15 billion) Sun Cable project, called the Australia-Asia PowerLink (AAPowerLink), plans to supply renewable electricity to Singapore via a 4,200km cable from Darwin in Australia's Northern Territory.
 
In a media release on Wednesday (Oct 20), Surbana Jurong said SMEC, which is one of its member companies, will be part of the team assembled by Sun Cable. It will deliver engineering consulting services for the solar generation systems and grid connection interfaces in Australia.
 
The Integrated Project Delivery Team (IPDT) comprises five companies, including SMEC, focusing on different areas, such as risk management and high-voltage direct current transmission. The other companies are Bechtel, Hatch, Marsh and PwC Australia.
 
They will help to drive the future of renewable energy in Australia and the Indo-Pacific, the release said.

Surbana Jurong told CNA that it is helping to facilitate the project through “early works” preparation. This includes “mapping out the regulatory approvals required to tie Sun Cable’s solution into the Singapore grid as well as providing technical services for receiving infrastructure such as voltage source converters, substations and subsea cables for landing the power in Singapore”, it added.
 
The project is expected to begin construction in late 2023, with the first supply of electricity to Darwin in 2026, and Singapore the following year. Full commercial operations are expected by the end of 2028.

Last month, Reuters reported that the Indonesian government had granted Sun Cable a permit to conduct an underwater survey starting immediately to map the route for the subsea high-voltage direct current cables to Singapore.
 
Sun Cable also reportedly said it will invest US$2.5 billion (S$3.4 billion) in Indonesia as part of the project. According to Sun Cable’s modelling, the project could reduce Singapore’s emissions by 6 million tonnes per year, matching the entire climate abatement gap in Singapore’s announced 2030 targets, the release said.
 
Surbana Jurong and Sun Cable will build local knowledge and capabilities in renewable energy in Singapore through a series of talent development initiatives including sustainability-themed webinars for industry professionals as well as students pursuing relevant courses in Institutes of Higher Learning. Surbana Jurong said these initiatives are expected to launch in the first quarter of 2022.
 
Singapore authorities have previously said that discussions on the company's proposal to supply solar power to Singapore are ongoing, adding that the Energy Market Authority (EMA) cannot share more details due to “commercial sensitivities”.