With Melbourne's dam levels getting down to below 30 percent at time this year, the search for sustainable sources of drinking water has been a key priority for the Victorian Government. The result was the decision to build a desalination plant using a Public Private Partnership delivery method.
The successful bidder, the AquaSure consortium -Suez Environnement, Degremont, Thiess and Macquarie Capital Group - was advised by Clayton Utz throughout the bidding process for the project. Partner Marcus Davenport was a member of the team of partners dedicated to the project which also includedDan Fitts, Naomi Kelly, Brendan Groves and Simon Irvine.
So Marcus, what is the project all about?
"AquaSure is required to have water production begin by around the end of 2011. This is an ambitious timetable, but water security is an important issue. It's not just the Victorian Government that is focusing on water security - there's a desal plant operating in Perth and Brisbane, and plans for a desal plant in South Australia - but the Victorian one is the largest one, and no doubt its success might give reassurance to other States looking into desalination."
The plant will be built in the Wonthaggi region - "I understand the location was selected because the brine produced as a by-product of the desalination process ultimately goes out into the ocean (after impurities are removed), and the location with its strong currents assists to efficiently disperse the brine " - and will be more than just a desalination plant, as Marcus and his colleagues discovered.
Marcus' role on the project focused on aspects of the project deed and the ancillary documentation, including the contractual arrangements for both the purchase of power for the operation of the plant and renewable energy credits, which is a key part of the project, as the plant will use around 90 megawatts of electricity from the Victorian energy grid, and the renewable energy credits are intended to provide a 100 percent "green offset" of that power use.
What do you think you brought to the project?
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