Australia will need 1.9TW of solar PV to reach net zero by 2050, according to a new report titled Net Zero in Australia, published by the Universities of Melbourne, Queensland and Princeton.

This acceleration will be most pronounced in the next decade. By then, installed solar PV capacity will need to reach 654GW in 2040, a substantial increase from the 98GW required in 2030.

The report states that 1.9TW of solar PV capacity in 2050 will be driven mainly by export opportunities, with power generation increasing to 8-15 times current levels. "With coal and gas exports in decline, Australia has the resources to build a new clean export industry."

Large-scale solar photovoltaic plants, complemented by energy storage, will support electricity exports, while new transmission lines will be needed to bring electricity to the parts of Australia's vast expanse where it is most needed.

Sun Cable is developing one such project, which aims to export up to 20GW of solar power from Australia to Singapore. The project is scheduled to start construction in 2024 and be fully operational by 2029.

In addition, regions such as Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland will be the focus of most solar PV additions. Solar PV will also play an important role in Australia's transition to net zero. Wind power is expected to add only 180GW by 2050. The report added that rooftop solar would play an important role in decarbonising Australia.

Robin Batterham, chair of the Australia Net Zero Steering Committee, said: "Our findings show that there are no two paths to net zero emissions by 2050 and Australia must transition. New renewable power generation projects, power transmission, hydrogen supply chains and more Significant long-term investment is required. We need new skills and training to harness Australia's clean energy potential."

In addition, in order to accommodate more than 2TW of renewable energy generation, 60-130GW of cross-regional power transmission needs to be expanded.

In June last year, the Australian Energy Market Operator called for a $12 billion investment in grid infrastructure for the National Electricity Market (NEM) to accommodate growth in renewable energy generation in Australia.

Decarbonising Australia will require up to 1.3 million new workers with technical skills, mainly in Australia's northern regions, with recruitment being influenced by the level of clean energy electricity exports Australia can achieve.

Australia has long been seen as a climate laggard and criticized for climate inaction. But Australia's relationship with renewables looks set to shift as the recently elected Labor government embarks on a different path than the previous one. Australia says it wants to transform into a "renewable energy powerhouse".

Australia has yet to enact legislation to achieve net zero by 2050, but that could change. Legislation recently introduced by the Albanese government locks in Australia's pledge to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.