Media Release

06 Feb 2007

Green Powered Desalination Plant for Sydney

Request for Tender documents have been issued for the construction of a 125 megalitre per day desalination plant at Kurnell.

Dam levels are now at around 34 per cent. This step will ensure construction can commence when dam levels reach 30 per cent.

Significant progress has been made on other initiatives, such as recycling, groundwater, deep water access and the community has saved over 250 billion litres of water since October 2003.

An Independent Review Panel was established to review the Government’s Metropolitan Water Plan. Chaired by Professor Peter Cullen, the panel endorsed the plan and strongly recommended that desalination must remain a central part of the Government’s Water Plan for Sydney to ensure there is enough water now and into the future.

The desalination plant is to be 100 per cent powered by green energy, which means it will have no net greenhouse impact.

A desalination plant is needed to ensure water can be provided to customers, both in this drought and beyond to support the growing population.

Desalination is used in many countries around the world, and other Australian states are turning to desalination to secure its water supplies.

Perth recently turned on its desalination plant and one is being built in the Gold Coast. Adelaide and Melbourne are considering building a plant as well.

The two short-listed consortia both have international experience and have been chosen because they have demonstrated superior capability to deliver a reliable desalination plant for Sydney.

Each consortia has constructed and operated desalination plants overseas.

The short-listed consortia will be required to provide proposals for a desalination plant capable of producing 125 million litres of water a day, which could be quickly called up to 500 millions litres a day if necessary.

A separate tender to design and construct the pipeline from the plant across Botany Bay to the city’s water supply network will be called for shortly.

The shortlisted consortia are:

• dmt Joint Venture, consisting of Degremont SA, Multiplex Engineering and Theiss Pty Ltd.
  
• Blue Water, consisting of Veolia Water Australia Pty Ltd and John Holland Pty Ltd, supported by a design joint venture comprising Maunsell Australia Pty Ltd and SKM Pty Ltd.

 

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