A private consultant believes an undersea cable to export solar power from the North West to Indonesia is financially viable even with its estimated construction cost between $6 billion and $10 billion as reported by Clean Technica
Geoff James, a consultant hired by the Pilbara Development Commission stated that the ambitious subsea cable project would build an underwater link capable of transporting solar power from Pilbara and Kimberley to Java in Indonesia. James is working on a pre-feasibility study, which he will deliver to the Pilbara Development Commission in January.
James said that the project is financially viable and would be possible within 10 years. He also added they have been assisted by project partners who have advised them that it is a technical stretch but it’s quite feasible. The technology exists and it has been tested at different lengths, various scales, and different depths across the world.
The project would need a solar panel farm with a radius of between 10 kilometers and 15 kilometers to be built in the Pilbara and Kimberley with a high voltage direct-cable transmission route that stretches from the Pilbara through the Kimberley and to Java.
James said that at least 2000 kilometers of the cable would stretch underwater. He said that the subsea element was being developed in consultation with Basslink and a silent project partner. He also said that the most significant issue for the project was the trade relationship with the Indonesian government.
Click here to read the story by Clean Technica
Featured Image Credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Solar Trust Centre Team
