Australia to build solar farm in country's north, says it will be world's largest

Australia today approved plans to build a giant solar farm. It will be in the north of the country, and the government says it will be the world's largest solar zone. Australian Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek said the farm should generate enough energy to power three million homes. It will include solar panels and batteries, and eventually a cable connecting Australia to Singapore, news agencies reported.

„It will be the world's largest solar zone, making Australia a world leader in green energy,“ Plibersek said. „Australians have a choice between the shift to renewable energy, which has already begun and is creating jobs and lowering prices, and paying for an expensive nuclear fantasy that may never happen,“ the minister said, referring to opposition plans.

She added that the project would provide almost six times more energy than a 700-megawatt-hour (MW) nuclear reactor could generate.

The solar farm in northern Australia is expected to supply four gigawatts of electricity per hour for domestic use. Another two gigawatts will go to Singapore, covering 15 percent of the city-state's consumption. That amounts to more than 52,500 gigawatt-hours, or 52.5 terawatt-hours (TWh), a year. The batteries could store up to 40 gigawatts.

For comparison, the largest energy producer in the Czech Republic is the power plant at Temelín in South Bohemia. Its output covers one-fifth of electricity consumption in the Czech Republic. The plant has two units, each with a capacity of 1125 MW. Last year, Temelín generated more than 16 TWh of electricity.

The 12,000-hectare project, known as SunCable, is located in a sun-drenched area in northern Australia. It is valued at 21 billion euros (roughly CZK 527 billion). It is backed by tech billionaire and environmental activist Mike Cannon-Brookes.

The solar farm is due to start generating energy in 2030. It is estimated to create 14,300 jobs in northern Australia, the minister said.

In 2022, renewable energy sources accounted for around 32 percent of Australia's total electricity generation, according to government data. Coal made up 47 percent of the energy mix.