Sun Cable’s resurrected Australia-Asia PowerLink project, which aims to generate solar power from the Barkly region for use in Darwin and Singapore, has been approved by federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek.

Minister Plibersek said on Wednesday the approval came with strict conditions to protect nature, including requirements to completely avoid the habitat of important species like the Greater Bilby, and other critical habitat but her statement did not explain the specifics of how environmental approval was given considering the company behind the project says it is still deciding where it will built the 12,000 ha plant, with four different sites on three different cattle stations southwest of Elliott being considered.

The project was assessed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.

“It will be the largest solar precinct in the world – and heralds Australia as the world leader in green energy. Australians have a choice between a renewable energy transition that’s already creating jobs and driving down prices or paying for an expensive nuclear fantasy that may never happen,” Ms Plibersek said in a statement.

“The energy generated by this project is almost six times the amount of energy a 700MW large nuclear reactor could deliver, based on IEAA figures. We have no idea what the equivalent to Peter Dutton’s anti-renewables nuclear plan might be because there are no details other than it being too slow and too expensive Australia.”

The Renew Economy news website reported that Sun Cable chief executive officer David Griffin had said company was looking to choose between the four sites on three different cattle stations: Newcastle Waters Station, Powell Creek Station and one other.

The company said the potentially $30 billion-plus project consisted of two parts, with the Darwin part aiming to deliver up to 4GW of electricity through a 800km transmission line to the proposed Middle Arm industrial precinct.

While the Singapore part proposes to send 1.75GW of solar power to Singapore through a 4,300km under sea transmission line.

Sun Cable is owned by a consortium led by Grok Ventures, which is owned by Mike Cannon-Brookes.

The project was previously a joint venture between Cannon-Brookes and Andrew Forrest. It went into voluntary administration in January 2023, with the Cannon-Brookes’ consortium being awarded the Sun Cable assets by the administrator after a bidding process with Forrest.

The two billionaires had fallen out over whether the project could transport Singapore’s electricity transmission, with Cannon-Brookes claiming it was feasible.