Plans to build a desalination plant in Victoria, Australia, were announced by the Brack's Labor government[1]
Information about the plant
- Household water bills are expected to double over the next five years to pay for a $4.9 billion water strategy to secure Melbourne's water supplies
- Estimated water production is 150 billion litres (150 gigalitres) of fresh water per year
- The plant is planned to be operations by the end of 2011
- It is intended that the plant will provide additional water to Melbourne, Geelong, Western Port and South Gippsland.
- The plant is estimated to use about 90 mega watts (MW) of power per day. While a commitment was made to use renewable energy to power the plant in an attempt to make it greenhouse neutral, it is possible the plant will be powered by a co-located gas fired power station.
- The plant is expected to emit 200 million tonnes of brine to the ocean.
- The plant will be constructed using a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and could end up being foreign owned.
References
- ↑ Bracks announces $5 billion water plan, The Age, June 19, 2007