In early 2005, GHD, and its partner Fichtner, were
engaged by Sydney Water to undertake a feasibility study to
determine if desalination was practical as an alternative water
source that would complement Sydney’s existing water
sources. The feasibility study, undertaken together with
Sydney Water, in an integrated project team set the foundation for
this milestone project.
The project comprised three main components, a 250ML/day
capacity reverse osmosis desalination plant, the intake and outlet
tunnels and associated marine works, and the delivery pump station
and 18km long transfer pipeline across Botany Bay to the centre of
the city. In a world first cement lined steel pipes of this size
had never before been laid simultaneously in a string and placed in
an underwater trench.
Drawing on GHD’s broad consulting base, we provided a range of
services to support Sydney Water throughout this significant
project.
In the feasibility, approval and pre-construction phases, GHD’s
involvement included preparation of the environmental assessment,
engineering design, geotechnical investigations, community
consultation, cost estimation, strategic scheduling, and project
management services (project controls, risk and procurement method
assessment), for all three main project components (with
significant support on desalination technologies from
Fichtner).
For the detailed design, construction and commissioning phases
of the plant, GHD acted as Sydney Water’s Technical Advisors, and
provided design and compliance reviews, construction and
commissioning compliance reviews, materials and durability
assessments, hydraulics assessments, and plant operational
assessments.
The plant was designed to be easily scalable to provide up to
500 million litres a day, and the seawater intake and outlet
structures, and the delivery pipeline, have been built to handle
this capacity.
Overall, the total cost of the project is around AUD1.8 billion.
The project was delivered on time, $89 million under budget, and
with exemplary safety performance. It has since gone on to win a
number of industry awards, including being voted Desalination Plant
of the Year at the 2011 Global Water Summit, in Berlin.