Southern Seawater Desalination Project
Next major water source for Western Australia
WA Premier Alan Carpenter announced on 15 May 2007 that a new desalination plant to be built near Binningup in the Shire of Harvey will be the next major water source for WA.
Since 2001, the south of Western Australia has been subject to severe drought conditions. Average flow into Perth's metropolitan dams has dropped significantly while increasing growth across the State has meant demand for water continues to increase. In response to these changing conditions the Water Corporation is developing a range of options to supply water for Western Australia.
Desalination is a climate independent water source and is a key part of the Corporation's plan to ensure a secure water supply for Western Australia. In April 2007 the Corporation achieved an important milestone with the opening of the Perth Seawater Desalination Plant, which is now delivering 17 per cent of the Integrated Water Supply Scheme (IWSS).
Latest Project News
Southern SeaWater Alliance named successful consortia
The Water Corporation has announced that the Southern SeaWater Alliance (SSWA) is the preferred consortia to build and operate Western Australia’s second seawater desalination plant near Binningup in the south west.
The SSWA is led by Spanish companies, Tecnicas Reunidas and Valoriza Agua. Its partners are construction company, AJ Lucas and engineering consultancy Worley Parsons. Tecnicas Reunidas and Valoriza Agua have extensive major desalination experience and are major international multidiscipline construction companies. These two companies will operate the 50 gigalitres of water a year plant, which will be owned by the Water Corporation, for 25 years.
The announcement of the Alliance partner is an important milestone and an integral step in being able to finalise the State and Federal environmental approvals. The announcement is not pre-empting the environmental approvals process but simply making sure the Water Corporation remains in the best position possible to commission the plant on time in 2011.
Whilst this appointment allows SSWA to move ahead with further detailed design and other essential activities, the contract will not be let for the Alliance until all project approvals have been granted by both the Western Australian and Federal governments.
The SSWA are well aware of the environmental, community and other commitments of the Water Corporation, particularly in relation to noise, visual appearance and other aspects of the plant. The Alliance has incorporated all such commitments into their design and operating proposal.
In addressing community concerns, SSWA will employ a tunnelling technique to construct the marine inlet and outlet pipes to minimise both dune disturbance and beach closure. Whilst some beach closure will be required to ensure the public's safety, it’s envisaged this will be at short intervals for a matter of weeks as opposed to many months.
Furthermore, SSWA have indicated that a workers construction camp is not planned and where possible, regional sub-contractors will be sought. It is expected that the workforce will peak at about 500 people during construction.
In ensuring environmental impacts are minimised, the SSWA will utilise the disused quarry on the site to house the majority of the plant.
The cost of the project, including the plant, pipeline and other infrastructure required to integrate the plant with the Integrated Water Supply System, will be $955 million as budgeted.
At the completion of the project, more than 30 per cent of WA’s drinking water will be supplied from climate independent sources. This in turn will help the Corporation enormously in reducing the abstraction from the Gnangara Mound on a permanent basis and is essential to meeting the challenge of securing WA’s future water supply.
