PERTH SEAWATER
DESALINATION PLANT
1308. Hon DIANE EVERS to the minister representing the
Minister for Water:
I
refer to the minister's response to question without notice 1274 about
the Perth seawater desalination plant in Kwinana.
(1) What quantity
of electricity, in megawatt hours, is used to produce each megalitre of
desalinised water?
(2) What amount of greenhouse gas emissions
is associated with this energy consumption?
(3) What proportion of the
electricity used is supplied by gas and what proportion by renewables?
(4) What is
the plant's estimated greenhouse gas efficiency in comparison with the
efficiencies of other comparable projects that produce a similar product?
(5) What
proportion of the plant's greenhouse gas emissions are offset by carbon
credits accredited under the National Carbon Offset Standard?
Hon ALANNAH MacTIERNAN
replied:
I thank the honourable member for the question. The Minister
for Water has provided the following answers.
(1) In 2018–19,
3.6 megawatts of electricity was used to produce each megalitre of desalinated
water.
(2) In 2018–19,
the total annual greenhouse emissions was 98.6 kilotonnes CO2 equivalent, as reported under the 2018–19
National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting scheme.
(3) The Perth
seawater desalination plant is supplied as part of the Water Corporation
portfolio's electricity supply. The proportion is dependent on the
generation mix within the electricity grid.
(4) There is
no benchmark for greenhouse emissions for desalination plants. The Perth
seawater desalination plant's energy efficiency was world's
best practice at the time of construction. Through a process of continuous
improvement, energy efficiency measures are identified and implemented.
(5) The plant operates in accordance with the
environmental conditions set in 2003. These conditions do not require that
greenhouse gas emissions are offset through carbon credits under the National
Carbon Offset Standard.