Question On Notice No. 744 asked in the Legislative Council on 13 March 2018 by Hon Robin Scott
Question Directed to the: Minister for Regional Development representing the Minister for Water
Parliament: 40 Session: 1
Question
(1) Will the Minister advise on the total capital cost of the Kwinana desalination plant operated by the
Water Corporation?
(2) What percentage of the capital cost of the Kwinana desalination plant represented wages paid to Western Australians and what percentage of the capital cost represented items that are manufactured in Western Australia?
(3) During the most recent twelve-month period for which figures are available to the Minister, what was the total Kwinana Desalination Plant production of fresh water in terms of billions of litres, and what percentage of Perth's total water consumption did this output represent?
(4) During the same period as (3), what was the total revenue received for sale of water produced by the Kwinana Desalination Plant?
(5) During the same period as (3), what was total electrical energy consumption of the Kwinana Desalination Plant in gigawatt
hours and what was the total payment made for this electricity?
(6) During the same period in (3), were all the electrical energy needs of the Kwinana Desalination Plant provided by the Emu Downs Wind Farm and, if not, what was the quantity of electricity supplied by, which, other provider or providers in gigawatt hours and at what cost?
(7) During the same period in (3), what was the net income or net loss of the Kwinana Desalination Plant?
Answered on 11 April 2018
Water Corporation refers to the Perth Seawater Desalination Plant in the answers below:
(1) $387 million in 2005/06 which included integration pipelines and pump station.
(2) Australian content was 75% including wages and items manufactured in Australia. Reporting requirements at the time of construction were at a national level only.
(3) For 2016/17, production was 47.3 billion litres, which accounts for around 17% of the total water supplied to customers of the Integrated Water Supply Scheme which includes metropolitan Perth, Mandurah, parts of the South-West, Goldfields and Agricultural regions, and can also be stored in metropolitan dams for future use.
(4) Revenue at individual plant level is not calculated; this asset is one of many water sources, including groundwater and surface water, across an extensive network of pipes and pumping stations used to supply and deliver water to residential and commercial customers.
(5)-(6) The Corporation has more than 2,580 assets requiring electricity across the state; in 2016/17 consumption at PSDP was in the order of 170 GWh. Electricity requirements are met through a portfolio of more than ten different arrangements and the wholesale (spot) electricity market. A portfolio approach provides flexibility to mix and match demand at any point in time across the market, to deliver the lowest possible overall cost.
(7) Individual plant level net income or net loss is not calculated; this plant is one of many water sources, including groundwater and surface water, across an extensive network of pipes and pumping stations used to supply and deliver water to residential and commercial customers.