Southern Seawater Desalination Plant | |
Location Map: | Australia Western Australia |
Location Map Text: | Location within Western Australia |
Location: | Binningup, Western Australia |
Coordinates: | -33.1286°N 115.7029°W |
Estimated Output: | 300 megalitres per day |
Cost: | A$955 million |
Energy Generation Offset: | Renewable (TBA) |
Technology: | Reverse Osmosis |
Percent Of Water Supply: | Up to 33% of Perth |
The Binningup Desalination Plant is a desalination plant near Binningup, Western Australia, about south of Perth. It supplies water to the state capital Perth, as well as the nearby regional city of Bunbury and is known as the Southern Seawater Desalination Project[1] It was designed to initially deliver 50 gigalitres of potable water per year but was expanded to deliver 100 gigalitres of potable water per year, or 33% of Perth's requirements.[2] The plant was officially opened in September 2011 at reduced output, and was completed and operating at full capacity in January 2013.[3]
The site is in Taranto Road, Binningup, about 1,200 metres from the coast with most of the plant situated in a now disused limestone quarry. The project includes the laying of a 30km (20miles), 1300mm pipeline to deliver potable water to the South West Integrated System via a storage facility near Harvey.[4] The Harvey facility has one 32 megalitre storage tank operational with another one under construction. There is allowance at the site for four 32 megalitre storage tanks.