Commissioning the Desalination Plant - Aquasure

VICTORIAN DESALINATION PROJECT
FACT SHEET
Commissioning the desalination plant
TDV-FS-0029-00
With construction of Victoria’s new desalination plant nearing completion, commissioning
is now underway – a complex and essential process that all desalination plants must
go through.
What is commissioning
The commissioning process is designed to confirm that the
desalination plant can reliably produce high quality drinking water
in commercial quantities, as required under AquaSure’s contract.
At Victoria’s new desalination plant, more than 200,000 tests will
be carried out on 28,500 individual pieces of equipment, before
they can all come together as one.
How does commissioning work
The commissioning process involves a number of stages.
1. Precommissioning
Detailed quality assurance checks are carried out to confirm that equipment has been
installed correctly and conforms with specifications. Futher tests then confirm that
equipment functions correctly as part of the plant’s sophisticated operating system.
2. Wet
commissioning
Water is introduced to the system, and further tests carried out to confirm that
equipment is capable of moving water at the required flow and pressure, and that
control systems continue to operate correctly.
3. Process
commissioning
Chemicals are introduced and the first samples of test water produced and tested
to confirm that water chemistry is correct and consistent.
4. Performance
testing
A series of performance tests to prove that the plant is capable of reliably producing
high quality drinking water in commercial quantities. These tests are a requirement
under AquaSure’s contract and include 7- and 30-day continuous operating tests.

How long does commissioning take
Commissioning is a detailed process, which begins
as key elements of construction are completed.
In total, the process will take around nine months to
complete.
Issues can and do come up, and identifying and
addressing them well before the desalination plant
begins operating is exactly what the commissioning
process is for, and can prove as simple as replacing
a part under warranty.
Who will oversee the commissioning process
The commissioning process will be overseen by the
Independent Reviewer and Environmental Auditor for
the project.
The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) will
also play an active role, confirming that the plant is
meeting all necessary environmental guidelines.
Are there any approvals required prior to starting
commissioning
Yes. The EPA has issued an approval for the
commissioning activities, under Section 30A of
the Environment Protection Act 1970.
The approval outlines the conditions under
which commissioning activities must be carried
out. It can be viewed on the EPA’s website at
www.epa.vic.gov.au.
How many people are involved in process
commissioning
Unlike the construction phase of the project, the
process commissioning team is relatively small,
comprising approximately 40 people.
When will desalinated water be available from
the plant
Desalinated water will not enter the water network
until the final water product is tested to confirm it
meets Australian Drinking Water Guidelines, Victorian
health requirements and the water quality standards
specified in the contract.
Water will also be tested by an independent water
testing laboratory.
Water will gradually enter the network during
commissioning.
DID YOU KNOW
Degrémont has been operating in
Australia for 40 years. Around 20% of
Australia’s population is provided with
drinking water from Degrémont
facilities on a daily basis.
Degrémont has built and operated
more than 260 desalination plants
around the world.
Specialist engineers from Degrémont
will lead the commissioning process
of Victoria’s new desalination plant.

A LOOK INSIDE THE COMMISSIONING PROCESS
Outlined below are just a few of the 200,000 performance and reliability tests that the desalination
plant and its supporting infrastructure must pass before it begins commercial operation.
Commissioning the reverse osmosis membranes
The heart of the desalination plant is the reverse
osmosis building, where seawater is pushed through
55,000 membranes to separate salt from seawater.
To prepare the membranes for operation, the
many components and pumps that drive the
membranes will first be tested and checked to
confirm they have been installed correctly.
These tests are carried out both with and
without water, to check that equipment continues
to function as required.
When the commissioning team is confident that
all systems and equipment are operating correctly,
seawater is pushed through the reverse osmosis
membranes.
Seawater concentrate is checked and analysed,
then returned to the ocean, while pure water is
potabilised, tested and analysed against the
required drinking water standards, then also
returned to the ocean.
Put simply, the commissioning team is producing
potable water simply to confirm that the membranes
and their operating systems are operating correctly.
Commissioning the transfer pipeline
Hydrotesting of the transfer pipeline is one
of many activities that form part of the
commissioning process.
To conduct a hydrotest, the transfer pipeline
is filled with water and pressurised well above
standard operating limits.
A certified, independent technician then carries
out a series of detailed inspections and quality
tests to confirm that the transfer pipeline and its
supporting structures, like air valves, have been
well constructed and are operating correctly.
Commissioning the power cable
When underground power cable installations
and terminations are complete, all components
such as transformers, circuit breakers and
monitoring equipment are checked.
The process of connecting the power to the grid
and making it ‘live’ is called energisation.
Energisation is initially carried out at low voltage,
with crews checking that all components are
performing correctly.
When this work is complete, the cable is fully
energised to 220kV and power from the grid is
then available at the plant site.

When will the desalination plant start
producing waste
The desalination plant will begin producing waste
during the advanced stages of commissioning.
What kinds of waste will the desalination
plant produce
The desalination plant will generate two main
waste streams – liquid waste (known as ‘seawater
concentrate’ or ‘brine’) and solid waste (often
referred to as ‘sludge’).
Where will the waste be disposed
Brine will be returned to the ocean, while solid
waste will be trucked away to landfill.
Only when the plant begins producing solid waste,
can it be classified by the EPA. This classification
will dictate where the waste can be disposed.
Do you need approval to discharge brine to
the ocean
Yes. Any form of discharge into public waters requires
approval from the EPA, and Victoria’s desalination plant
is no exception. The EPA has issued an approval for
commissioning activities, which specifies discharge
requirements.
Would the solid waste ever be disposed to the ocean
No. This would be a significant violation of EPA
guidelines and the environmental performance
requirements for the project, and would put AquaSure’s
license to operate at serious risk.
It is also not physically possible. The solid waste looks
and feels like soft clay, and the plant is simply not
equipped with the infrastructure required to discharge
such material.
Further reading
• Water Treatment Processes Fact Sheet
• Pipeline Hydrotesting Fact Sheet
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CONTACT US
Visit the Victorian Desalination Project Community Information Centre
Shop 2, 33– 35 Murray St, Wonthaggi
Opening hours Wednesday – Friday 9.30am – 4.30pm.
MARCH 2012
Freecall
1800 811 214
Email
contactus@aquasure.com.au
Web
www.aquasure.com.au
www.water.vic.gov.au/desalination
Post
AquaSure C/– PO Box 7387
St Kilda Road, Melbourne
VIC 8004