PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The $3.5 billion Victorian Desalination Project is one of the biggest infrastructure projects in Victoria’s history.
It will deliver Australia’s largest desalination plant, securing a source of water for Melbourne and regional communities, independent of rainfall.
Located in Wonthaggi, the project’s main components are:
- desalination plant – with an initial production capacity of up to 150 billion litres of water a year (411 million litres per day) and the capability to expand to 200 billion litres a year (548 million litres per day)
- seawater intake/outlet – underground seawater intake/outlet structures
- transfer pipeline – 84 km of underground pipeline to connect the plant to Melbourne's existing water network
- power supply – 87 km of underground cable to connect the plant with the electricity grid
- fibre optic cable – underground cables to monitor performance of the pipeline and power line and provide capacity to improve communications services to local communities.
The initial production capacity means the desalination plant will be capable of supplying about a third of Melbourne's annual water needs.
The plant and pipeline will fully offset energy used from the Victorian electricity grid through the purchase of renewable energy certificates sourced by AquaSure via a 30-year fixed price agreement with AGL Energy.
AquaSure has pledged to deliver the most technically advanced, environmentally sensitive and energy efficient desalination facility in Australia.
The project will be completed by December 2011.