Desalination in Australia

Desalination in Australia (now a Global Water Solution) Desalination is used commercially to provide fresh water for many communities and industrial sectors in Australia and around the world. The Middle East region has the majority of the desal capacity, whereas Australia has only one percent of the total world desalination capacity (Gleick, 1998; Buros, 1999). The installed world desalination capacity consists mainly of multi-stage flash distillation and reverse osmosis processes, with the remainder made up of multi-effect distillation, electrodialysis and vapour compression. The installed capacity of membrane desalination and thermal processes is about equal, but most older plants are distillation units which are facing retirement, so it is probable that the total operating capacity of membrane units will increasingly exceed that of thermal units (Buros, 1999). Reverse osmosis desalination for brackish water is the most utilised method in Australia. The Water Corporation in Western Australia is investigating the feasibility of developing several desalination facilities for industrial and urban application.

Most state governments in Australia are now either utilising desalination or planning projects for major desalination infrastructure to support the growing demand for fresh water. As we move into the next decade, there will be more demand and more desalination plants will appear in most major centres and remote areas. Queensland is well on the way to establishing and commissioning the desalination plant at Tugan, adjacent to the Gold Coast Airport. This installation is set to supply the drinking water for hundreds of thousands of people in the South East of the state as the population surge continues in this area. Desalination, now widely accepted as a Global Water Solution.