A Northern Territory manufacturer is poised to bring a deployable water purification and desalination system (WPDS) to market with the support of co-investment from the Northern Territory Government.
Life h2o, in collaboration with TerraCorp Industries and BP Waters, plans to further develop the WPDS, following successful trials with the Australian Defence Force and deployments in various defence, disaster relief, and humanitarian aid campaigns over the past four years.
The mobile water purification system, known as Life-Port WPDS, is engineered to remove contaminants from any water source, including heavy metals, chemicals, minerals, viruses, and bacteria, as stated in a media release.
The military-grade system surpasses water quality standards with advanced pre-filtration, ultra-filtration, and post-filtration processes.
It also manages pH levels and reintroduces essential minerals lost during purification. The WPDS can operate on different power inputs, making it adaptable for various applications and environments.
Charley Feros, managing director of Life h2o, emphasised the significance of the project for the Northern Territory.
“From the outset, we wanted Life h2o to be a Top End company, not just in physical presence but in supply chain, employment, and exports. The support Life h2o has gained via the AMEF will enable us to develop a consumer-facing product, establish an entirely NT-based supply chain, and employ more Territorians,” Feros stated.
He added, “Life-Port WPDS has been wholly developed in the Northern Territory through leveraging the best Top End knowledge, skills, and networks – and we intend to keep it this way and commercialise right here in the NT.”
The project aims to finalise the consumer-facing design of Life-Port, secure tooling for onshore manufacturing in Darwin, and fully commercialise the WPDS unit.
By optimising the local supply chain, the initiative is expected to reduce costs, stimulate the NT economy, and position the Northern Territory as a leading defence prime in Australia, AMGC noted.
The Northern Territory Advanced Manufacturing Ecosystem Fund (AMEF), administered by the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC), has awarded Life h2o a $434,978 co-investment.
With matched cash contributions, the project will see nearly $900,000 invested over two years to establish the new manufacturing capability.
Charmaine Phillips, AMGC’s Northern Territory director, commented on the project’s impact: “Life H20’s Life-Port product is exactly what we want to see manufactured in the Northern Territory – a proven, military-grade solution to offering a vital resource – clean water. What’s more is that it is a technology that will have greater impact beyond its military provenance, providing assistance across the commercial, industrial, civilian, disaster relief and primary industries sectors.”
Phillips further noted, “Providing innovative solutions to meet the growing demand for clean water in regional Australia and the Indo Pacific is not only a testament to Life h2o’s commitment to delivering water security, but also a commitment to sustainability and growth of the NT as a manufacturing hub for the region.”
The project is projected to generate $5.5 million in additional revenue within five years and create at least fifteen new skilled positions at Life h2o’s Darwin facility.
Life h2o’s initiative is the eleventh business to receive co-investment from the AMEF, which was launched in 2021.
The AMEF is anticipated to drive manufacturing activity, creating up to 195 new jobs and generating up to $100 million for the Territory’s economy in its first five years.
