Sydney (Kurnell), Australia

What is it?

A seawater reverse osmosis plant built at Kurnell to supply the city of Sydney in Australia. It has a capacity of 250,000m³/d, expandable to 500,000m³/d using the existing intake and outfall structures, and is designed to provide up to 15% of the city’s daily water needs. The plant began supplying water to customers in January 2010.

Who is responsible?

The plant was designed and constructed for Sydney Water by the Blue Water joint venture, which includes Veolia Water, John Holland, SKM and AECOM. Flowserve Calder supplied the DWEER energy recovery device, and the membrane supplier was Dow Filmtec.

What makes it special?

• The Sydney plant is the largest operating SWRO desalination facility in Australia, and the third largest in the world. It is also the biggest water project undertaken in the state of New South Wales for over fifty years.
• The A$1.8 billion (US$1.7 billion) project to drought-proof Australia’s largest city was a shining example of efficient construction, coming in A$90 million (US$90 million) under budget, on time and with a safety record that exceeded all expectations.
• Energy requirements are offset with 100% renewable energy from a 67-turbine wind farm, and the plant employs an extensive marine life monitoring programme. The Sydney project offers concrete evidence that with community engagement, large-scale desalination can gain widespread acceptance as a vital component of local water resource planning.