The Victorian Desalination Project

The Desalination Plant

Located in Wonthaggi, the VDP comprises:

The desalination plant – comprising 29 buildings including the reverse osmosis building, the heart of the VDP - with a design capacity of over 160 billion litres of water a year, flexible water ordering of between 0 and 150 billion litres, and the capability to expand to 200 billion litres a year
Marine structures: two underground tunnels located 15 metres below the seabed measuring 1.2 km and 1.5 km long and each with a 4 metre internal diameter, and associated marine intake and outlet structures located more than 20 metres below the sea’s surface
Water transfer pipeline: 84 km, 1.9 metre diameter, two-way pipeline that provides desalinated water or catchment supplies to communities throughout Melbourne, South Gippsland and Westernport, as required;

Emergency Access Roads

Mouth of Powlett Road will remain an emergency access road for local residents.
Energy Efficient Design

As well as its compact, modular design, the plant will use world-leading energy recovery devices in the reverse osmosis process to significantly reduce power consumption.
Building Height

The plant site will be lowered to provide the best operational outcome and lowest energy use. The highest point of the main building will be 20 metres high but will be barely visible from surrounding areas, screened by constructed dunes.
Constructed Dune System

Dunes will be constructed to integrate the plant with the natural landscape and provide visual and acoustic protection to neighbours nearby.
Maintaining Beach Access

Williamsons Beach will remain open and available for public enjoyment throughout the life of the project. During construction a small exclusion zone will apply around the offshore equipment used to construct marine tunnels, in order to protect the safety of the marine crew and the public enjoying the water. This will not affect beach activities.
Innovative Living Roof

A ‘living roof’, completely covered with living indigenous ground covers, tussocks and low shrubs will help blend the plant into the natural landscape, provide acoustic protection, corrosion resistance, thermal control and reduced maintenance.
Water Storage Ponds

Water storage ponds with a capacity of 1000 cubic metres will capture run off from the living roof and administration buildings for irrigation onsite.
Indigenous Vegetation Reinstated

More than 3.5 million plants and 150,000 trees will be used to reinstate indigenous vegetation cleared over the years to make way for mining and grazing.

Plant Design

The plant’s design minimises any adverse impacts on landscape, cultural heritage, fauna and flora, or local communities.

Its land-based components are integrated into the landscape, thereby reducing the amount of energy needed to lift the seawater to the plant. The highest point of the main buildings is 20 metres above sea level, barely visible from surrounding areas.

Explore the site using the map or take a look at The Design fact sheet for more information.

Marine structures and tunnels have been carefully designed and located to minimise impacts and ensure the optimal performance of the plant.

For more information on the marine infrastructure view the Marine Structures & Underground Tunnels fact sheet.

The Desalination Process

The Victorian Desalination Plant uses reverse osmosis (membrane based) desalination technology to turn seawater into freshwater. There are several steps to this process.

Firstly, seawater is drawn in from an underground and undersea tunnel.

Fine particles are then removed during an initial screening and subsequent filtration process before the water passes through the reverse osmosis membrane.

The Desalination Process fact sheet provides a detailed overview.

Once converted, the water from the desalination plant is treated to Australian drinking water standards. See the Water Treatment Processes fact sheet for further details.