COM: Port Stanvac Desalination Plant | 100gL | $1.8b

[stelaras]

Well, Mike Rann is rather adamant that the desalination plant will not be powered by nuclear energy.

CRAIG BILDSTIEN, CITY EDITOR
September 13, 2007 02:15am

THE State Government has been urged to run its proposed Adelaide desalination plant on nuclear power.
International expert Professor Leslie Kemeny said nuclear power plants were "uniquely suited" to seawater desalination.
"If South Australia wants a plant with minimum greenhouse gas emissions, you should eventually go nuclear," he said.
"It is the answer to desalination."
Professor Kemeny, a founding member of the International Nuclear Energy Academy and former consultant to resource giants Western Mining and Hamersley Iron, was yesterday one of three speakers at an Adelaide nuclear energy forum sponsored by the Property Council.
Council executive director Nathan Paine attacked Premier Mike Rann for "refusing numerous requests" to explain why he had ruled out nuclear power in SA.
Opposition Leader Martin Hamilton-Smith addressed the forum, as did the chairman of the Federal Government's 2006 Review of Uranium Mining, Processing and Nuclear Energy, Dr Ziggy Switkowski, and international anti-nuclear campaigner Dr Helen Caldicott.
Dr Switkowski said the nuclear power debate would "go on the backburner" for a long time if Labor won the next federal election.
He said a Rudd Government would stifle the debate, even though he said Australia had to consider the nuclear option if it wanted to "decarbonise" the economy, yet still improve living standards.
This was despite the fact national demand for energy would double by 2050, as would greenhouse emissions at a time when more and more countries around the world were introducing nuclear power.
Thirty-one countries now operate 443 nuclear reactors, generating 15 per cent of global electricity needs.
Mr Rann yesterday stood by his refusal to consider nuclear power. "We've already ruled out nuclear power for South Australia," he said. "It would massively increase the cost. It's the last thing we need."

The argument for nuclear power is not done and dusted! Its just not a consideration at this point in time. In my opinion nuclear is the way to go and will sustain our energy requirements for the future. God knows, we have enough uranium to power them!

At this point in time my guess would be that the Desal plant will be powered by a combination of coal and renewable energy sources.

[rhino]

Keep your hair on, Stelaras, I actually agree with you. I was just posting an article from Adelaide Now for interest's sake.

[skyliner]

I agree with you Stelaras - with 38% (and increasing) of the world's uranium in our backyard AND under development, we would be one of the best positioned places in the world to make full advantage of nuclear power. It is the way to go with desal - especially considering fossil fuel greenhouse effects. BTW - recently heard that 'clean coal'; is basicall a con due to lack of suitable technology for the task.(Not to mention costs). Anyone know any more about this?

I re-iterate what I said before - funds for this could be gained through Howard's $10bn save the Murray plan, and so cost SA less and make more available for a nuclear plant.

[Bulldozer]

I agree with the article, I'd really like to know why Rann is so against nuclear energy, but mining and exporting it is A.OK. It's heartening to know there's some people with pull who think it's the way to go.

I'd also like to see this report on desalination to see how they've come up with the announced costings. I bet they'll refuse to release it and they've just said the figures they have as an excuse to jack up the rates... another stealth tax just like the landfill levy.

[rhino]

Looks like we may have a world-renowned desalination plant builder on board soon.

From Adelaide Now:

MICHAEL OWEN, POLITICAL REPORTER
September 21, 2007 02:15am

ONE of the world's leading desalination technology companies, Israel Desalination Enterprises, has emerged as a frontrunner to build Adelaide's promised desalination plant.
The Israeli company's managing director of Australian operations, John Lebowitz, yesterday said talks had been held with SA Water in anticipation of a State Government announcement later this year that the $1.5 billion plant will be delivered as a public-private partnership.
As revealed in The Advertiser on September 8, a desalination plant will be built to help solve Adelaide's water crisis.
Following that exclusive report, Premier Mike Rann said the 50GL plant would cost more than $1.4 billion, take up to five years to build and result in water price increases.
But he said crucial details, such as its location and delivery model, would not be finalised until November, after Cabinet signs off on a report from the Government's Desalination Working Group.
The State Government will then seek federal funding for the plant and Mr Rann said he would not rule out building it as a PPP.
Government sources have said SA Water would have overall responsibility for the plant's construction with a private partner, a situation Mr Lebowitz yesterday agreed was likely.
"All of the desalination plants have been done by the local water authorities," he said.
"We have had in-principle discussions with SA Water."
IDE developed reverse osmosis technology and has contracts to supply plants worldwide, including to the U.S., Spain and India.
The company has contracts for eight plants in Australia and the central Pacific.
Mr Lebowtiz said IDE had already assessed sites in SA, including at Pelican Point and near Port Stanvac, and was waiting for the Government's working group to finish due dilligence and water sampling tests at the sites.
In an emailed statement, an SA Water spokeswoman last night said there had been informal discussions with "a number of interested parties" and "suppliers of different infrastructure for desalination".

[skyliner]

From the Financial Review Tues, 23/10/07 P3 - during the 2007 election campaign -

Mr Howard said if re elected he would give $10m to the SA state labor government for it's planned desalination plant as well as an 'appropriate capital contribution' to the project itself.

Labor leader Kevin Rudd has promised $160m to the plant.

Mr. Howard also pledged $40m to improve North Adelaide water supplies and $30m for a parklands water re - use system.

Hmmm. I don't know about you guys, but this looks very poor to me considering the costs of such a desal plant. Look at the ratio between the Nth. Adel. water amount and the desal. amount. It seems the 'appropriate capital contribution' IMO could not be much if Nth. Adel could elicit $40m. I could be wrong or unable to interpret between the lines here but it looks poor to me.

And what about Rudd - $160m grand total - come on - a drop in the bucket as they say.

To put this into a better context. As you probably know Howard had announced a $10B water plan about three months ago - is the above ALL we get. Surely, if the desal plant was funded by Howard out of his plan, a HUGE drain in the Murray would be FIXED or is this too much common sense.

Maybe I am not persuant to further info on all this - as it is NOT impressed.

End of rant.

[urban]

Rudd's effort looks pathetic. John Howard's amount is so small relative to the total cost that he shouldn't have bothered.

[rhino]

Rudd's effort looks pathetic. John Howard's amount is so small relative to the total cost that he shouldn't have bothered.

You're right, but these guys are counting on the general public not having a clue about what the real cost is.

[jimmy_2486]

I think both Rudd and Howard would make great Used Car Salesman.

[crawf]

Thats pathetic Howard & Rudd :wank:

Didn't the State Government & ACC already proposed to fund a parklands re-use system?

[rogue]

The $10m "promised" contribution from Howard is only towards the planning stage. The 'appropriate capital contribution' to the project itself could amount to anything.

[Bulldozer]

To put this into a better context. As you probably know Howard had announced a $10B water plan about three months ago - is the above ALL we get. Surely, if the desal plant was funded by Howard out of his plan, a HUGE drain in the Murray would be FIXED or is this too much common sense.

The Murray plan is stalled because of Vic. I suspect the stalling was a tactic to make the federal government look bad, otherwise why didn't Rann exert any pressure for Vic to sign on board like QLD, NSW and SA after saying it was vital for SA?

That being said, Adelaide's draw on the Murray is practically nil compared to all the other draws. A story on Landline last week about a NSW irrigation co-operative's upgrade of their canal control system showed it had netted a 60GL/yr saving. They're hoping to save even more by increasing the usage of remote sensing for weather and soil moisture. That's the sort of thing that the $10 billion plan is meant to fund - upgrading control systems, sealing and covering canals and replacing them with pipelines where appropriate. There is potential for massive savings in water usage from such "low hanging fruit" measures in NSW and VIC. Further, less significant savings can also be achieved at a much greater cost by doing things like replacing overhead sprinkler irrigation of orchards with microirrigation and tying sensors into the controls.

[skyliner]

Anyone heard any more about this?

Seems to have gone deadly quiet - alomost like it was a deflection announcement to get the people off the premier's back. For SA, it is a must have - well overdue.

It's no good going (in a big way) to such options as recycled water or mass tank purchases, as they depend on a pre - existing water supply of some kind. Because people are saving water, there is less to rexycle. It develops a higher salinity level with dropping supplies (Human tolerance 200ppm). Eventually, if no rain etc, the recycled water solution turns in on itself. Brisbane recycled water developers are working this out now, before the project is even completed.

I did hear (in Brisbane), that a part of their plan was to reduce consumption so much that the dam levels will
stabilise. On level six now - with 1250 more people xoming to live here a week just to complicate matters.

[rogue]

Now that the Federal election is over, expect to hear more soon.

[rhino]

From today's Adelaide Now:

Desal decision 'imminent'
November 27, 2007 10:30am

A FINAL decision on a desalination plant for Adelaide is imminent, Premier Mike Rann said today.
State Cabinet would probably decide next week on where the plant would be built, Mr Rann told FIVEaa.
“We had meetings on it yesterday and there are more meetings to come. So it’s imminent.”
Two sites are earmarked, including Port Stanvac Mobil refinery site, which is being cleaned up by Mobil under an agreement with the State Government.
“It’s down to a couple of sites, we’re just getting some more expert opinion,” he said.
Today’s Advertiser reported the State Government would miss its deadline on a final decision on a desalination.
This is despite Mr Rann and Water Security Minister Karlene Maywald repeatedly saying for the past two months that details on a desalination plant would be announced this month.
In September, Mr Rann described as “inevitable'' the building of a desalination plant for Adelaide. He promised details would be revealed by the end of November.