Alkimos Seawater Desalination Plant – Tunnelling Completion
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The Alkimos Seawater Alliance, has completed the construction of two undersea tunnels for the Alkimos Seawater Desalination Plant in Perth's north, marking a major milestone in the $2.8 billion project that will help secure Western Australia's drinking water supply amid declining rainfall.
Extending kilometers offshore
The tunnels, which will house marine intake and outfall pipes, extend 1.5 kilometers and 3 kilometers offshore. The longer tunnel will discharge brine far enough into the ocean to allow safe dispersion without harming marine life. This stage of the project was finalised last week following 15 months of continuous tunnelling operations.
Mary and Karli: the machines behind the milestone
Two tunnel boring machines, named Mary and Karli, were used to complete the works. Crews operated the machines around the clock in rotating 12-hour shifts, sometimes working 20 metres below the seabed. The next phase will involve connecting the tunnels to the intake and outfall structures that will channel seawater to and from the plant.
Hear from the project team on the tunneling works on the project.