Western Australia is set to house a manufacturing facility for extra-large water pipes with Water Corporation’s new $58 million contract with Steel Mains.
The contract, unveiled today by Water Minister Dave Kelly, will see the production of 1,600 mm diameter water pipes in Kwinana rather than at Steel Mains’ plant in Victoria.
The move eliminates existing supply chain risks and cuts freight costs and emissions that would be created by shipping the pipe across the country, the WA government said in a press release.
The first manufactured extra-large pipe is expected to be completed in 2024 and will be used during the construction of the new Alkimos Seawater Desalination Plant (ASDP) to convert water from the plant into the network.
The pipe will use Australian steel with iron ore from the Pilbara and lined with cement from Cockburn Cement in Kwinana.
Each 12-metre-long section of the pipe will weigh around 9 tonnes, with an expected lifespan of around 120 years.
ASDP, which was announced in June, is slated to provide 100 billion litres of safe, secure drinking water to millions of Western Australians each year. The first 50 billion litre stage will be commissioned in 2028.
Steel Mains traces a long history in WA with a 140-year presence in the state, having supplied pipe used in the construction of the Golden Pipeline from Mundaring Weir to the Goldfields.
“It’s fantastic to see Water Corporation leading from the front when it comes to supporting local manufacturing and local jobs by bringing the production of these extra-large steel water mains to Western Australia,” Kelly said.
“These will be the largest steel water pipes ever manufactured in WA and will eliminate reliance on pipe trucked over from the eastern states.”
“In addition to considerably lower procurement costs, less energy is needed to pump water through these mains, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and helping Water Corporation towards its goal of becoming a net-zero emitter by 2035,” the minister added.
