List of desalination plants in Australia
As a result of the water supply crisis during the severe 1997–2009 drought State governments around Australia began building desalination plants that purify seawater using reverse osmosis technology. Many of these plants have included in their overall cost the building of renewable energy sources such as wind farms.
Australia's first working desalination plant was the Kwinana plant in Perth, and was completed in November 2006. A second plant on the Gold Coast began operations in February 2009. The Kurnell Desalination Plant in Sydney was opened on 28 January 2010.List of desalination plants
Smaller desalination plants
State | Location | Capacity | Status | Year Commissioned |
Western Australia | Albany | 34 | Approved 2012 | |
Western Australia | Barrow Island | 7 | Operating | |
Western Australia | Burrup | 16.4 | Operating | |
Western Australia | Cape Preston | 140 | Operating | |
Western Australia | Esperance | 45 | Proposed 2011 | |
Western Australia | Garden Island | Unknown | Q1 2014 | |
Western Australia | Karratha | 175 | Planning | |
Western Australia | Long Island | 0.017 | Operating | |
Western Australia | Onslow | 11 | | |
Western Australia | Rottnest Island | 0.55 | Operating | |
Western Australia | Undecided | 150 | Planning | |
South Australia | Hawker | 0.44 | Operating | |
South Australia | Kangaroo Head | 0.3 | Operating | |
South Australia | Leigh Creek | not known | Operating | |
South Australia | Marion Bay | 0.06 | Operating | 2008 |
South Australia | Port Augusta | 8 | Operating | |
South Australia | Sleaford Bay | 8 | Planning 2018/19 | |
South Australia | Whyalla Steelworks | 4 | Operating | |
Queensland | Green Island | 0.06 | Operating | |
Queensland | Hamilton Island | 1.5 | Operating | |
Queensland | Hook Island | ? | Operating | |
Queensland | Long Island | 0.12 | Operating | |
Queensland | St. Agnes / 1770 | 1.5 | Operating | 2010 |
Offshore | Christmas Island | 4.5 | Operating | |
Offshore | Home Island | 0.35 | Under construction 2014 | |
Offshore | Timor Sea | 0.5 | ? | |
Secondary desalination plants, citations'''Desalination plants in development or cancelled