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List of desalination plants in Australia

{{short description|None}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{more citations needed|date=April 2016}}

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 was opened on 28 January 2010.{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/national/sydneys-desal-plant-switched-on-20100128-n13h.html|title=Sydney's desal plant switched on|work=Sydney Morning Herald|date=28 January 2010|access-date=19 February 2016}}

List of desalination plants

=Desalination plants in use=

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: left; font-size:95%"
Plant

! Capacity (Megalitres per day)

! Capacity (Gigalitres per year)

! Percent of water supply - at full capacity

! Current status

! Location

! Completion

Gold Coast Desalination Plant1254527% of South East QueenslandOperating at a minimum production level{{cite news|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/idle-desalination-plants-built-by-labor-cost-1bn/news-story/6e357d8c0ef5a213e68808ff8f1562df |title=Idle desalination plants built by Labor cost $1bn |author=Puddy, Rebecca|date=12 September 2015|work=The Australian|access-date=1 November 2015}}Queensland (Tugun) {{Coord|28.157|S|153.497|E}}2009
Perth Seawater Desalination Plant1304817% of PerthProvides 45 gigalites a yearWestern Australia (Kwinana) {{Coord|32.203|S|115.773|E}}2006
Southern Seawater Desalination Plant (Binningup)

|270

|100

|20% of Perth

|

|Western Australia (Binningup) {{Coord|33.129|S|115.703|E}}

|2012{{Cite web|url=http://www.awa.asn.au/AWA_MBRR/Publications/Fact_Sheets/Desalination_Fact_Sheet.aspx|title=Desalination Fact Sheet|last=Inc.|first=Advanced Solutions International|website=www.awa.asn.au|access-date=2018-11-28}}

Sydney Desalination Plant25084New South Wales (Kurnell) 34.02475°S 151.205136°E2012
Adelaide Desalination Plant30010050% of AdelaideOperating at a minimum production level supplying 10% of SA water{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-28/adelaide-desal-plant-too-big-and-too-expensive/9096046 |title=Adelaide desalination plant too expensive, Liberals say, despite falling electricity bill |date=28 October 2017|work=ABC News|access-date=28 October 2017}}South Australia (Port Stanvac) {{Coord|35.097|S|138.484|E}}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=

class="wikitable"
State

!Location

! Capacity (Megalitres per day)

!Status

!Year

Commissioned

rowspan="11" |

Western Australia

|Albany (Cape Riche)

34Approved 2012

|

Barrow Island (Gorgon gas project)7Operating

|

Burrup (West Pilbara)16.4Operating

|

Cape Preston (Sino Iron project, Pilbara)

|140

|Operating{{Cite web|url=http://www.ausenco.com/case-studies/sino-iron-project-desalination|title=Sino Iron Project Desalination Plant {{!}} Case study {{!}} Ausenco|website=www.ausenco.com|access-date=2016-04-21}}

|

Esperance45Proposed 2011

|

Garden Island (Navy Base)UnknownQ1 2014

|

Karratha175Planning

|

Long Island (Houtman Abrolhos)0.017Operating

|

Onslow (Wheatstone LNG)11{{Citation needed|date = November 2017}}

|

Rottnest Island0.55Operating

|

Undecided150Planning

|

rowspan="7" |

South Australia

|Hawker

0.44Operating{{Cite news|url=https://www.transcontinental.com.au/story/2562359/hawker-desalination-plant-operational/|title=Hawker desalination plant operational|date=2014-09-16|work=The Transcontinental|access-date=2018-11-28|language=en}}

|

Kangaroo Head (Penneshaw, Kangaroo Island)

|0.3

|Operating

|

Leigh Creeknot knownOperating{{cite web|title=Leigh Creek to receive SA Water services |url= http://www.oca.sa.gov.au/sites/default/files/media/SAW%20Leigh%20Creek%20Newsletter%20December%202016.pdf |publisher=SA Water, Government of South Australia |access-date=20 May 2017|pages=1 & 4}}

|

Marion Bay0.06Operating

|2008{{Cite web|url=http://www.osmoflo.com/en/markets/municipal/drinking-water-for-a-seaside-tourism-community/|title=Marion Bay Desalination Plant - Osmoflo|website=www.osmoflo.com|language=en|access-date=2018-11-28}}

Port Augusta (Sundrop Farms)8Operating

|

Sleaford Bay

|8

|Planning 2018/19{{Cite news|url=https://www.portlincolntimes.com.au/story/5572462/desal-plant-plan-announced/|title=Desal plant plan announced|last=Cootes|first=Isobel|date=2018-08-07|work=Port Lincoln Times|access-date=2018-11-28|language=en}}

|

Whyalla Steelworks (Arrium)4Operating

|

rowspan="5" |

Queensland

|Green Island

0.06Operating

|

Hamilton Island1.5Operating

|

Hook Island?Operating

|

Long Island (Club Crocodile)0.12Operating

|

St. Agnes / 1770 (Gladstone)1.5Operating

|2010{{Cite web|url=http://www.osmoflo.com/en/markets/municipal/environment-a-key-priority-at-agnes-water-desalination-plant/|title=Agnes Water desalination plant - Osmoflo|website=www.osmoflo.com|language=en|access-date=2018-11-28}}

rowspan="3" |

Offshore

|Christmas Island

4.5Operating

|

Home Island (Cocos & Keeling Islands)0.35Under construction 2014

|

Timor 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. Desal plant gets final approval.” WAtoday. 24 June 2009. Web. 1 May 2010 Desalination – Project Information.” SA Water. Government of South Australia. n.d. Web. 1 May 2010. Gipson, D. “Take Bligh’s promises on Bribie Island desalination plan with grain of salt.” LNP. 19 April 2010. Web. 29 April 2010. Lucas, P. “Study rules out two future desalination plant sites.” Queensland Government. 23 February 2009. Web. 30 April 2010. [http://www.osmoflo.com/project/12/drinking-water-for-a-seaside-tourism-community.aspx "Drinking water for a seaside tourism community"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140204233858/http://www.osmoflo.com/project/12/drinking-water-for-a-seaside-tourism-community.aspx |date=2014-02-04 }} Osmoflo Retrieved 2014-01-07.[http://www.rottnestisland.com/conservation/water---a-precious-commodity Water - A precious commodity] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20140109002725/http://www.rottnestisland.com/conservation/water---a-precious-commodity |date=2014-01-09 }} Rottnest Island Retrieved 2014-01-09.[http://www.ausmos.com/Industries/resorts.php Industries - Resorts] Ausmos Retrieved 2014-01-09.

=Desalination plants in development or cancelled=

class="wikitable"
Plant

! Capacity (Megalitres per day)

! Location

! Notes

AlkimosunknownWestern AustraliaUnder construction, scheduled to open in 2028[https://web.archive.org/web/20241205044853/https://www.watercorporation.com.au/Our-water/Desalination/Alkimos-Seawater-Desalination-Plant# Alkimos Seawater Desalination Plant] Water Corporation
Anketell Point (Pilbara)

|9.6

|Western Australia

|Approved 2013{{Cite book|url=http://www.epa.wa.gov.au/EIA/instructions-documents/proponent-documents/Documents/Anketell%20Point%20Port%20Development%20PER%20-%20December%202010/Appendix%203%20-%20Draft%20Environmental%20Management%20Plans/Draft%20Desalination%20Discharge%20Management%20Plan.pdf|title=API West Pilbara Iron Ore Project - Stage 1 Desalination Discharge Management Plan|publisher=API Management Pty Ltd|year=2010|location=Como, Western Australia|pages=2}} then cancelled{{Cite news|url=https://thewest.com.au/news/australia/anketell-port-bid-scuppered-ng-ya-104152|title=Anketell port bid scuppered|date=2016-04-15|work=The West Australian|access-date=2018-11-28|language=en-GB}}

Bribie IslandunknownQueenslandIn dispute
North Stradbroke IslandunknownQueenslandIn dispute
Onslow Desalination Plant2Western AustraliaCurrently in detailed design |{{Citation needed|date = November 2017}}
Point Lowly / Port Bonython (BHP)280South AustraliaApproved 2011, not constructed
Point Paterson Desalination Plant15South AustraliaProject cancelled
Port Spencer / Lipson Cove (Centrex Metals)

|14-55

|South Australia

|Project cancelled

Sunshine CoastunknownQueenslandSuggested after 2028
|Toukley20New South WalesApproved 2007, construction deferred

See also

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References

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