Australia on Wednesday gave the green light to a A$20 billion ($13.5 billion, €12.138 billion) solar project that plans to deliver energy from a giant solar farm in the country's north to Singapore through a 4,300 kilometer (2,672 miles) undersea cable.

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek said the "largest solar precinct in the world" would generate enough energy to power three million homes. She added it would include panels, batteries and eventually a cable linking Australia with Singapore, making her county "the world leader in green energy."

Based in Northern Territory

The 12,000-hectare (29,650 acre) operation known as SunCable is in Australia's sun-soaked Northern Territory.

The project is supported by tech billionaire and environmental activist Mike Cannon-Brookes and is set to provide four gigawatts of energy per hour for domestic use, with two more gigawatts sent offshore to Singapore.

"SunCable will now focus its efforts on the next stage of planning to advance the project towards a final investment decision targeted by 2027," SunCable Australia Managing Director Cameron Garnsworthy said in a statement, though it did not detail its financing plans.

In 2022, renewables made up 32% of Australia's total electricity generation while coal's at 47%, according to the latest government data. 

jsi/rm (AFP, Reuters)