Parched Australia plans giant desalination plant - Reuters

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Parched Australia plans giant desalination plant
19 Jun 2007 09:57:53 GMT
Source: Reuters

SYDNEY, June 19 (Reuters) - Australia is planning to build one of the
world's largest desalination plants as part of a $4.9 billion ($4 billion)
programme to provide drinking water to the nation's second-largest
city Melbourne.

The plan, announced Tuesday, followed a warning from environmental
group WWF that removing salt from sea water to overcome a worldwide
shortage of drinking water could end up worsening the crisis.

The Victorian state government said water bills for consumers could
double to fund the A$3.1 billion plant planned for Wonthaggi, south-east
of Melbourne. It also plans another A$1 billion expanding pipelines and
the city's water grid.

The plan was part of a drought-proofing package to generate 150
billion litres of drinking water annually -- about one-third of Melbourne's
current consumption, Australian Associated Press (AAP) reported.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/SYD122671.htm

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Also: Desalination no answer to water crisis: WWF - Reuters

[greenman3610]

1. powered by what?

[Eugene]

2. Fossil fuels with offsets apparently, but the description is unclear.

From the Victoria Government fact sheet (pdf):

"Greenhouse emissions from the plant will be offset by the purchase
of renewable energy, making the plant carbon neutral."

Related article: $3b desal plant to double bills - Herald Sun

That is interesting since the desalination plant in Perth is powered by wind.