Desalination Plant
Latest Announcement
| The Premier and Water Minister have awarded the contract to build Victoria's desalination plant. |  |
Australia's largest desalination plant will be in the Wonthaggi region to supply up to 150 billion litres of water a year to Melbourne, Geelong and, via other connections, South Gippsland and Western Port towns.
It will be capable of providing around a third of Melbourne's annual water supply from a source that is independent of rainfall.
The project includes an 84 kilometre underground pipeline to connect the plant to a transfer main at Berwick and then to Cardinia Reservoir.
The plant will be powered by underground power cables co-located with the pipeline. The desalination plant will use approximately 90 megawatts of electricity from the Victorian energy grid, which will be offset through the purchase of renewable energy credits sourced by AquaSure through AGL.
The plant will be constructed and operated through a Public Private Partnership. The Victorian Government selected the AquaSure consortium, consisting of Suez Environment, Degremont, Thiess and Macquarie Capital Group to build and operate the $3.5 billion desalination plant.
Aquasure has committed to a range of additional features and projects to ensure Victoria's desalination plant is Australia's most advanced. These include:
- a secure underground power supply;
- a commitment to renewable energy projects to offset the plant's energy use, including a new wind farm at Oakland Hills;
- continued access to Williamsons Beach, which is adjacent to the plant site;
- the best possible visual amenity at the site, including low profile, grass covered buildings and the planting of hundreds of thousands of trees and shrubs; and
- significant benefit to the local community, such as a new broadband fibre optic cable and a secure local water supply.
Following preparation of an Environment Effects Statement and community consultation in 2008, construction of the plant is scheduled to commence shortly in order to deliver water by the end of 2011.