Australia Poised for Desalination Boom as Water Shortages Loom (bloomberg.com) 28
Australia is on track for a significant expansion of desalination capacity -- converting seawater to freshwater -- to meet the needs of a swelling population at a time of declining average rainfall. From a report: The world's driest inhabited continent is projected to build or expand 11 desalination plants worth more than A$23 billion ($15 billion) over the next 10 years, according to a research report by Dominic McNally at Oxford Economics.
"Our population growth forecasts imply an additional 190GL/year in household water demand across major cities by 2035, while the booming data center industry also threatens to rapidly expand urban water use," he said. "This growing demand coincides with falling average rainfall in major population centers, increasing the vulnerability of existing infrastructure." Water construction activity slowed after 2010 as a severe drought receded. However, recent dry periods have reignited interest in water security and coincide with a new boom in water infrastructure investment, including desalination, McNally said.
"Our population growth forecasts imply an additional 190GL/year in household water demand across major cities by 2035, while the booming data center industry also threatens to rapidly expand urban water use," he said. "This growing demand coincides with falling average rainfall in major population centers, increasing the vulnerability of existing infrastructure." Water construction activity slowed after 2010 as a severe drought receded. However, recent dry periods have reignited interest in water security and coincide with a new boom in water infrastructure investment, including desalination, McNally said.
Israel built an entire dessalination infrastructur (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Israel built an entire dessalination infrastruc (Score:4, Interesting)
It's easy when the USA foots the bill.
Re: Israel built an entire dessalination infrastru (Score:3)
The USA built that by paying for it.
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Conversion (Score:2)
190GL = 50 billion gallons = 154,000 acre feet = 76,000 olympic swimming pools
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Industry needs water (Score:4, Informative)
Australia poised for desalination boom as water shortages loom
Story by Nasteho Said - Bloomberg 22-DEC-2025
- Australia is on track for a significant expansion of desalination capacity — converting seawater to freshwater — to meet the needs of a swelling population
- will require a desalination plant to service increased mining and refining activity
https://www.msn.com/en-us/mone... [msn.com]
Boom? - We already have them... (Score:4, Informative)
Perth Seawater Desalination Plant (Kwinana, Western Australia) – operational since 2006.
Southern Seawater Desalination Plant (Binningup, WA) – operational.
Gold Coast Desalination Plant (Tugun, Queensland) – operational since 2009.
Sydney Desalination Plant (Kurnell, New South Wales) – operational since 2010.
Victorian Desalination Plant (Wonthaggi, Victoria) – operational since 2012.
Adelaide Desalination Plant (Lonsdale, South Australia) – operational since 2012
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How much of it is using renewable power? Seems like you have massive resources there, for a process that can fit around availability.
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Osmotic power. (Score:2)
Osmotic Power [youtube.com] Fresh and salt water, like the brine from desalination plants.
War (Score:2)
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I thought Australia was the land of sunshine and shahks?
Isn't there a way to build shahk collectors across the land and power desal plants?
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So now all these plants are going to need electricity too. Along with AI. Along with EVs.
Australia has a glut of electricity. That isn't the problem. Load shifting is the problem, and EVs are actually a nice solution there.
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Osmotic desalination (Score:2)
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Apparently, that is what more than half of the existing desalination plans do.
Good News! (Score:2)
That's fantastic! Then they will have enough salt to put huge amounts into every aspect of their food supply and they can sell diuretics, give people heart disease, and boost their pharma and hospital sales. They can be just like the US!