List of desalination plants in Australia

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As a result of the water supply crisis during the severe 1997–2009 drought State governments around Australia began building desalination plants that purify seawater using reverse osmosis technology. Many of these plants have included in their overall cost the building of renewable energy sources such as wind farms.

Australia's first working desalination plant was the Kwinana plant in Perth, and was completed in November 2006. A second plant on the Gold Coast began operations in February 2009. The Kurnell Desalination Plant in Sydney was opened on 28 January 2010.[1]

List of desalination plants[]

Desalination plants in use[]

Plant Capacity (Megalitres per day) Capacity (Gigalitres per year) Percent of water supply - at full capacity Current status Location Completion
Gold Coast Desalination Plant 125 45 27% of South East Queensland Operating at a minimum production level[2] Queensland (Tugun) 28°09′25″S 153°29′49″E / 28.157°S 153.497°E / -28.157; 153.497 2009
Perth Seawater Desalination Plant 130 48 17% of Perth Provides 45 gigalites a year[2] Western Australia (Kwinana) 32°12′11″S 115°46′23″E / 32.203°S 115.773°E / -32.203; 115.773 2006
Southern Seawater Desalination Plant (Binningup) 270 100 20% of Perth Western Australia (Binningup) 33°07′44″S 115°42′11″E / 33.129°S 115.703°E / -33.129; 115.703 2012[3]
Sydney Desalination Plant 250 84 New South Wales (Kurnell) 34.02475°S 151.205136°E 2012
Adelaide Desalination Plant 300 100 50% of Adelaide Operating at a minimum production level[2] supplying 10% of SA water[4] South Australia (Port Stan vac) 35°05′49″S 138°29′02″E / 35.097°S 138.484°E / -35.097; 138.484 2012
Victorian Desalination Plant 410 150 33% of Melbourne Victoria (Dalyston)

38°35′16.8″S 145°31′33.6″E

2012

Smaller desalination plants[]

State Location Capacity (Megalitres per day) Status Year

Commissioned

Western Australia

Albany (Cape Riche) 34 Approved 2012
Barrow Island (Gorgon gas project) 7 Operating
(West Pilbara) 16.4 Operating
Cape Preston (Sino Iron project, Pilbara) 140 Operating[5]
Esperance 45 Proposed 2011
Garden Island (Navy Base) Unknown Q1 2014
Karratha 175 Planning
(Houtman Abrolhos) 0.017 Operating
Onslow (Wheatstone LNG) 11 [citation needed]
Rottnest Island 0.55 Operating
Undecided 150 Planning

South Australia

Hawker 0.44 Operating[6]
Kangaroo Head (Penneshaw, Kangaroo Island) 0.3 Operating
Leigh Creek not known Operating[7]
Marion Bay 0.06 Operating 2008[8]
Port Augusta (Sundrop Farms) 8 Operating
Sleaford Bay 8 Planning 2018/19[9]
Whyalla Steelworks (Arrium) 4 Operating

Queensland

Green Island 0.06 Operating
Hamilton Island 1.5 Operating
? Operating
(Club Crocodile) 0.12 Operating
St. Agnes / 1770 (Gladstone) 1.5 Operating 2010[10]

Offshore

Christmas Island 4.5 Operating
Home Island (Cocos & Keeling Islands) 0.35 Under construction 2014
Timor Sea () 0.5 ?

Secondary desalination plants, citations[11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]

Desalination plants in development or cancelled[]

Plant Capacity (Megalitres per day) Location Notes
(Pilbara) 9.6 Western Australia Approved 2013[20] then cancelled[21]
Bribie Island unknown Queensland In dispute
North Stradbroke Island unknown Queensland In dispute
2 Western Australia [citation needed]
Point Lowly / Port Bonython (BHP Billiton) 280 South Australia Approved 2011, not constructed
Point Paterson Desalination Plant 15 South Australia Project cancelled
Port Spencer / Lipson Cove (Centrex Metals) 14-55 South Australia Project cancelled
Sunshine Coast unknown Queensland Suggested after 2028
Toukley 20 New South Wales Approved 2007, construction deferred

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Sydney's desal plant switched on". The Sydney Morning Herald. 28 January 2010. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c Puddy, Rebecca (12 September 2015). "Idle desalination plants built by Labor cost $1bn". The Australian. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  3. ^ Inc., Advanced Solutions International. "Desalination Fact Sheet". www.awa.asn.au. Retrieved 2018-11-28.
  4. ^ "Adelaide desalination plant too expensive, Liberals say, despite falling electricity bill". ABC News. 28 October 2017. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  5. ^ "Sino Iron Project Desalination Plant | Case study | Ausenco". www.ausenco.com. Retrieved 2016-04-21.
  6. ^ "Hawker desalination plant operational". The Transcontinental. 2014-09-16. Retrieved 2018-11-28.
  7. ^ "Leigh Creek to receive SA Water services" (PDF). SA Water, Government of South Australia. pp. 1 & 4. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  8. ^ "Marion Bay Desalination Plant - Osmoflo". www.osmoflo.com. Retrieved 2018-11-28.
  9. ^ Cootes, Isobel (2018-08-07). "Desal plant plan announced". Port Lincoln Times. Retrieved 2018-11-28.
  10. ^ "Agnes Water desalination plant - Osmoflo". www.osmoflo.com. Retrieved 2018-11-28.
  11. ^ G. Crisp and E.A. Swinton, Desalination in Australia: A review, Water 35(2) (2008) 94.
  12. ^ Evans, G. “Sydney Desalination.” Water-technology. 26 August 2008. Web. 28 April 2010. <http://www.water-technology.net/features/feature40057>
  13. ^ Desal plant gets final approval.” WAtoday. 24 June 2009. Web. 1 May 2010 <http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/desal-plant-gets-final-approval-20090624-cwij.html>
  14. ^ Desalination – Project Information.” SA Water. Government of South Australia. n.d. Web. 1 May 2010. <http://www.sawater.com.au/SAWater/WhatsNew/MajorProjects/ADP_ProjectInfo.htm Archived 2010-05-04 at the Wayback Machine>
  15. ^ Gipson, D. “Take Bligh’s promises on Bribie Island desalination plan with grain of salt.” LNP. 19 April 2010. Web. 29 April 2010. <http://lnp.org.au/media-centre/media-release/2408-take-blighs-promises-on-bribie-island-desalination-plant-with-a-grain-of-salt.html>
  16. ^ Lucas, P. “Study rules out two future desalination plant sites.” Queensland Government. 23 February 2009. Web. 30 April 2010. <http://www.cabinet.qld.gov.au/mms/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=62905>
  17. ^ "Drinking water for a seaside tourism community" Archived 2014-02-04 at the Wayback Machine Osmoflo Retrieved 2014-01-07.
  18. ^ Water - A precious commodity Archived 2014-01-09 at archive.today Rottnest Island Retrieved 2014-01-09.
  19. ^ Industries - Resorts Ausmos Retrieved 2014-01-09.
  20. ^ API West Pilbara Iron Ore Project - Stage 1 Desalination Discharge Management Plan (PDF). Como, Western Australia: API Management Pty Ltd. 2010. p. 2.
  21. ^ "Anketell port bid scuppered". The West Australian. 2016-04-15. Retrieved 2018-11-28.
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