Australia’s South East Water – the authority in charge of water, sewage and recycled water services in southeast Melbourne, Victoria – has awarded the SUEZ–John Holland–Beca joint venture a contract to upgrade its Boneo Water Recycling Treatment Plant. With the help of innovative technologies, the new plant will produce renewable resources (water and energy) that significantly contribute to the region’s growth and environmental efforts.

 

The new contract includes the design and construction of the plant upgrade for a total investment of approximately €80 million, alongside operation of the plant – located on the Mornington Peninsula – for a period of 10 years.

 

Doubling capacity, slashing emissions 

 

The construction phase will start in February 2019 and increase the facility’s capacity to 31,200m3 wastewater per day, from the existing 14,300m3 per day.

 

The contract will optimise the sewerage treatment service for the Mornington Peninsula community, supporting the current and future population growth. In addition, the upgrade will secure recycled water production that will be used by local farmers for irrigation.

 

The joint venture will modernise the plant by delivering a range of innovative treatment technologies designed to reduce South East Water’s reliance on grid electricity, taking the utility one step closer to achieving its emissions reductions target of 45 per cent by 2025.

 

Breakthrough technology

 

SUEZ will deploy a breakthrough technology in wastewater treatment (CleargreenTM Mainstream). This technology reduces oxygen consumption by 50 per cent compared to conventional treatment and increases biogas production, which will be used to produce electricity to supply the plant. This process and other technologies deployed will have the potential for the plant to become ‘carbon positive’ – that is, going beyond achieving net zero carbon emissions to actually create an environmental benefit.

 

“The Boneo Water Recycling Plant upgrade will support the continued growth of the Mornington Peninsula,” remarked Terri Benson, Managing Director at South East Water​. “It will also move us significantly closer to our emissions reduction targets, and our commitment to customers to protect our environment.” 

 

Bertrand Camus, SUEZ Senior Executive VP in charge of Africa, the Middle East, India, Asia and the Pacific, said that his company was proud to implement in Australia innovative “treatment solutions that design the wastewater treatment plant of tomorrow”, recovering wastewater into valuable resources (water and energy). “This collaboration with John Holland, Beca, and South East Water illustrates our commitment to support cities in their transition to a circular economy and sustainable growth,” he added.