Rio to invest in Pilbara desalination plant
PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Major Rio Tinto on Friday announced plans to invest $395-million in a seawater desalination plant in the Pilbara to support future water supply for the company’s coastal operations and communities in the region.
The proposed Dampier Seawater Desalination Plant, which remains subject to Commonwealth and state government approvals, will be located within Rio’s existing iron-ore port operations at Parker Point. It will have an initial nominal capacity of four gigalitres a year, with the potential for this to increase to eight gigalitres in the future.
The project includes construction of a new supply pipeline to connect to the existing water network.
Rio said on Friday that subject to relevant approvals, construction is expected to commence in 2024 with the facility expected to be operational and producing water in 2026. At the peak of construction, the project is expected to support approximately 300 jobs.
Water from the plant is planned to be transferred to the Water Corporation-owned and operated West Pilbara Water Supply Scheme, where it will be distributed to Rio’s coastal communities and operations.
The plant will be constructed on previously reclaimed land and will use reverse osmosis to filter salt and other impurities from ocean water. It will utilise existing infrastructure at the company’s Parker Point operations and is near the existing Water Corporation network, helping to minimise disturbance to the local environment.
“We know that water is a scarce resource, particularly in the Pilbara. We are pleased that this desalination plant will help to secure future supply for Rio Tinto-supplied communities in the West Pilbara as well as our coastal operations,” Rio Tinto iron-ore CEO Simon Trott said.
Comments
Research Reports
Projects
Latest News
Showroom
ENVASS is a customer and solutions-driven environmental consultancy with established divisions, serviced by highly qualified and experienced...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Weir Minerals Europe, Middle East and Africa is a global supplier of excellent minerals solutions, including pumps, valves, hydrocyclones,...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
