Renewable energy

About 90MW is required to run the plant and pipeline when it is operating at 150GL. This is 100 per cent offset by renewable energy.

AquaSure has committed to buying exactly the same amount of renewable energy certificates to match the electricity used in any year by the desalination plant and transfer pipeline operations. This will ensure the equivalent amount of renewable energy is injected into the electricity grid.

Over a 12 month period the outcome will be the same as if the desalination project had obtained its power supply directly from renewable energy sources.

The desalination plant’s energy consumption per household per day represents about the same amount as a 4-star fridge. A hot water service would use nearly eight times as much energy as the desalination plant per household per day.

Reverse osmosis technology

Reverse osmosis is the most energy efficient method of desalination.

AquaSure has introduced a number of innovative systems to minimise power consumption within the plant during the reverse osmosis process. These include world-leading energy recovery and reuse devices.

Energy recovery devices capture the energy created by water moving through the desalination process.

The plant’s compact modular design reduces pipe work and eliminates inefficient energy use.  Constructing the plant at a low level relative to sea level also saves energy by reducing the amount of energy needed to lift seawater into the plant.

Other energy reducing features such as variable speed drives, high efficiency motors and low energy use membranes have also been adopted.