So it appears the Northern Territory to Singapore solar generated electrical generation plant and undersea cable is stalled again. The project has great potential, it is great to see high-level collaboration between the two nations. The Northern Territory offers both the expanse to house solar panels and ample sunlight to power the solar cells.

An undersea cable is required to transport the electrical output of the project to Singapore, this is likely to be a major engineering feat, an undersea cable of 4200 km is a major undertaking. What Singapore requires is both efficient and reliable energy, this project has the potential to meet the energy needs of Singaporeans.

This is a great example of nations coming together with differing requirements but mutual interests. There is no doubt Australia has plenty of sunshine and space. The island nation of Singapore on the other hand has limited space and although located close to the equator, is overcast and tropical.

Sure, based on the close proximity to the equator, Singapore really doesn’t have defined seasons like many of the Southeast Asian nations of the region. What they lack is space on their island nation that is characterised in a constant rainy season. This cloud cover and lack of usable space is a real issue. The Northern Territory has plenty of space to erect solar panels and year round sun.

The real issue is the technological requirements of transmitting electricity to Singapore via undersea cable. The solar generation capability is existing technology, but it appears the transmission capability is the limiting factor and I would be interested how they transmit electrical energy over such vast distances., so given the operational constraints, the power generation should be sufficient if the project can get secure funding.