Australia

Eyre Peninsula desalination plant moves a step closer as potential sites chosen – Australia

After years of deliberation and community backlash, four possible sites for a proposed desalination plant on the Eyre Peninsula have been selected.

The Site Selection Committee, an independent group of 20 local leaders and industry figures, has shortlisted Sleaford West, Point Boston, Shoal Point and the site originally chosen in 2020 at Sleaford Bay.

A detailed assessment of each site will now be undertaken, however, this does not mean Billy Lights Point, the site originally chosen that caused controversy, has been taken off the table altogether.

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SA Water begins Kangaroo Island desalination plant construction – Australia

SA Water, alongside major construction partners John Holland and Guidera O’Connor, has begun construction of Kangaroo Island’s new seawater desalination plant, which will improve drinking water reliability for the region.

SA Water and partners have begun setting up equipment, fencing and temporary site huts, as well as ground preparation at the Penneshaw site.

The project will also support the local economy and provide greater bushfire resilience.

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Digging into an Eyre Peninsula desalination plant to boost mining – Australia

On Wednesday the federal and state governments announced funding for a business case looking into the Northern Water Supply project.

The announcement flagged that the plan to consider a desalination plant and lengthy pipeline aimed to reduce pressure on the Great Artesian Basin and the River Murray, while supporting the hydrogen, mining, horticulture, pastoral and agriculture sectors.

Tender documents issued last year however indicate the Northern Water Supply project primarily sought to “underpin new resources development” with barely any mention of farming needs.

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Campaigners welcome 12-month pause on Eyre Peninsula desalination project – Australia

Campaigners against a proposed desalination plant on the Eyre Peninsula say they will continue lobbying against the development despite a 12-month delay.

Last week, the South Australian government put the project on hold to allow time for more investigation and consultation with locals and businesses.

SA Water proposed building the desalination plant at Billy Lights Point in Boston Bay at Port Lincoln after considering several sites.

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6 GW green hydrogen project powered by solar and wind proposed for SA – South Australia

Kallis Energy Investments, led by South Australian-based Terry Kallis, is proposing to develop an enormous 6 GW project in the state’s north.

The Moolawatana Renewable Hydrogen Project, as it’s called, could potentially see a combined solar and wind farm, each with up to 3 GW of capacity, being used to power electrolysers producing renewable, green hydrogen.

Kallis told pv magazine Australia the project will likely not be grid connected, and therefore able to avoid the congestion and grid connection issues which have plagued numerous large-scale projects in the region.

Desal plant location chosen for Eyre Peninsula – South Australia

Billy Lights Point, near Port Lincoln, has been selected as the preferred location for a desalination plant in the Eyre Peninsula area of South Australia, which will provide drinking water for around 35,000 SA Water customers. 

The decision follows a comprehensive analysis of 20 sites around Port Lincoln and Lower Eyre Peninsula, as well as ongoing consultation with local stakeholders.

The plant will provide a new reliable, climate-independent source of drinking water to supplement existing groundwater sources and the River Murray, and is critical to maintaining a long-term supply of safe and clean drinking water in the area, as well as enabling economic growth.

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‘It can’t happen’: Out to sea protest warns SA Water its desal plans aren’t welcome – Australia

A protest at sea off Port Lincoln has been held to vehemently oppose the South Australian Government’s $90 million plans to build a desalination plant close to the city’s major aquaculture industries.

Eight vessels took part as tourism operators and recreational fishers joined commercial fishers to show their opposition to SA Water’s proposed site at Billy Lights Point.

The protesters have environmental concerns that hyper saline water discharged from the proposed site will pollute Port Lincoln’s protected and shallow bays, and have a negative impact on surrounding aquaculture farms.

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50 km pipeline for Kangaroo Island – Australia

Installation has begun on the 50 km underground pipeline to connect Kangaroo Island communities with a new seawater desalination plant at Penneshaw. 

SA Water said the first stage of pipeline construction between Penneshaw and Pelican Lagoon has already commenced, and will continue for the next several months, with regular deliveries of the 375 mm diameter pipes underway via ferry from the mainland.

Stage 2 is expected to commence in early 2022 and will include the design and development of the section extending from Middle River water main. 

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Planning approval granted for desalination plant, pipeline – Australia

This week, the New South Wales Government approved Hunter Water‘ s plans for a desalination plant at Belmont as a drought response measure.    

The plans are a reaction to water storage levels in the Lower Hunter, which recently reached its lowest point in nearly 40 years. 

The plant is designed to produce up to 30 million L of drinking water per day in response to drought.

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Road closure remains part of ongoing EMWD project – Australia

Officials of Eastern Municipal Water District continue to ask for patience and understanding from residents impacted by the construction limiting lanes of traffic on Murrieta Road at Salt Creek.

The Murrieta Road Pipeline Project involves construction of a 36-inch pipeline from the EMWD Desalination Complex just north of Salt Creek that will run south under the creek bed and along Murrieta Road to connect with existing infrastructure at La Piedra Road.

According to EMWD, the project will increase the amount of water that can be distributed from the desalters, which treat local, salty groundwater.

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