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 Perth Seawater Desalination Plant that was completed in November 2006. A second plant on the Gold Coast began operations in February 2009. The Kurnell Desalination Plant in Sydney opened in January 2010.

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 1254527% of South East QueenslandOperating at a minimum production level Queensland (Tugun) 2009 Perth Seawater Desalination Plant 1304817% of Perth Provides 45 gigalitres a year Western Australia (Kwinana) 2006Southern Seawater Desalination Plant (Binningup)27010020% of PerthWestern Australia (Binningup) 2012 Sydney Desalination Plant250 84 15% of Sydney New South Wales (Kurnell) 34.02475°S 151.205136°E 2012 Adelaide Desalination Plant 30010050% of Adelaide Operating at a minimum production level supplying 10% of SA water South Australia (Port Stanvac) 2012Victorian Desalination Plant41015033% of MelbourneVictoria (Dalyston)

38°35′16.8″S 145°31′33.6″E2012

Smaller desalination plants

StateLocation Capacity (Megalitres per day)StatusYear CommissionedWestern AustraliaAlbany (Cape Riche)34Approved 2012Barrow Island (Gorgon gas project)7OperatingBurrup (West Pilbara)16.4OperatingCape Preston (Sino Iron project, Pilbara)140OperatingEsperance45Proposed 2011Garden Island (Navy Base)Unknown Q1 2014Karratha175PlanningLong Island (Houtman Abrolhos)0.017OperatingOnslow (Wheatstone LNG)11Rottnest Island0.55OperatingUndecided150PlanningSouth AustraliaHawker0.44OperatingKangaroo Head (Penneshaw, Kangaroo Island)0.3OperatingLeigh Creeknot knownOperatingMarion Bay0.06Operating2008Port Augusta (Sundrop Farms)8OperatingSleaford Bay8Planning 2018/19Whyalla Steelworks (Arrium)4OperatingQueenslandGreen Island0.06OperatingHamilton Island1.5OperatingHook Island?OperatingLong Island (Club Crocodile)0.12OperatingSt. Agnes / 1770 (Gladstone)1.5Operating2010OffshoreChristmas Island4.5OperatingHome Island (Cocos & Keeling Islands)0.35Under construction 2014Timor Sea (Ichthys LNG)0.5?Secondary desalination plants, citationsG. Crisp and E.A. Swinton, Desalination in Australia: A review, Water 35(2) (2008) 94.Evans, G. “Sydney Desalination.” Water-technology. 26 August 2008. Web. 28 April 2010. <http://www.water-technology.net/features/feature40057>Desal plant gets final approval.” WAtoday. 24 June 2009. Web. 1 May 2010 <https://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/desal-plant-gets-final-approval-20090624-cwij.html>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 >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>Lucas, P. “Study rules out two future desalination plant sites.” Queensland Government. 23 February 2009. Web. 30 April 2010. <https://www.cabinet.qld.gov.au/mms/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=62905>"Drinking water for a seaside tourism community" Osmoflo Retrieved 2014-01-07.Water - A precious commodity Rottnest Island Retrieved 2014-01-09.Industries - Resorts Ausmos Retrieved 2014-01-09.

Desalination plants in development or cancelled Plant Capacity (Megalitres per day) Location NotesAlkimosunknownWestern AustraliaUnder construction, scheduled to open in 2028Alkimos Seawater Desalination Plant Water CorporationAnketell Point (Pilbara)9.6Western AustraliaApproved 2013 then cancelledBribie IslandunknownQueenslandIn disputeNorth Stradbroke IslandunknownQueenslandIn disputeNorthern Water Project, Whyalla140South AustraliaProposedOnslow Desalination Plant2 Western Australia Point Lowly, Port Bonython (BHP)280South AustraliaApproved 2011, not constructed, cancelledPoint Paterson Desalination Plant 15 South Australia Project cancelledPort Spencer, Lipson Cove (Centrex Metals)14-55South AustraliaProject cancelledSunshine CoastunknownQueenslandSuggested after 2028Toukley20New South WalesApproved 2007, construction deferred

See also

Energy in Australia Seawater desalination in Australia

References