In August 2009, the AquaSure Consortium, consisting of Thiess, Degrémont (a Suez Environmental company), and Macquarie Capital was awarded the public-private partnership project by the State of Victoria. The Thiess Degrémont Nacap joint venture has been tasked with the pipeline and power scope of works.

The companies mobilised and commenced construction of the pipeline within five months of receiving the contract. In order to complete construction on schedule, the joint venture is required to weld approximately 400 m of pipeline a day.

The pipeline is designed for reverse flow, meaning it can transfer water from the desalination plant into the existing Melbourne Water network and also deliver water from the Cardinia Reservoir to water authorities for regional communities in Victoria via several water delivery points located along the alignment. Mr O’Connell said that the pipeline is a large undertaking and provides massive opportunities for the local community and the State of Victoria.

BlueScope is providing the steel for approximately 80,000 tonne of 2 m diameter mild steel cement lined pipe. The steel coils are shipped from Kembla Grange down to Tyco Water’s Somerton pipe facility via Western Port. Approximately 6,200 pipe joints 12 m in length and between 12.5–20 mm in wall thickness will be produced by Tyco, mostly from its Somerton plant in Victoria. Each pipe weighs approximately 13–15 tonne.

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The pipe will typically be built within a 40 m wide construction easement and in some instances in trenches of up to 5 m deep.

“You’ve got to respect a pipeline that you can walk through,” said Mr O’Connell of the pipeline’s diameter.

Much of the pipeline is to be constructed in busy rural areas, requiring a high level of safety awareness and strict compliance to stringent traffic management protocols.

The construction also involves 43 road and water crossings, and will involve nine pipe jacks – the longest of which will be approximately 130 m of 2.8 m jacking diameter. Mr O’Connell said that two of the pipe jacks are already underway.

The project generated considerable interest at the dinner and Mr O’Connell responded to many questions at the conclusion of his presentation.