SA Water’s electricity supply is about to become greener and cheaper again with the addition of another major solar power system, and an even bigger installation to soon follow.
The utility says more 7,300 solar panels installed at the second pump station on its pipeline between Swan Reach and Stockwell are now connected and ready to go.
“The Swan Reach to Stockwell Pipeline spans across more than 50 kilometres inland from the mighty Murray across to the northern Barossa area, and therefore requires significant energy to pump clean, safe drinking water across such large distances,” said SA Water’s Nicola Murphy
While the total capacity of this new solar farm wasn’t provided, Ms. Murphy said it will generate approximately 5,224 megawatt hours of clean, green energy annually. There’s more solar energy to come for this section of pipeline, with a further 16,000 panels currently being connected at the first pump station.
PV has been popping up all over SA Water’s assets as part of its ambitious Zero Cost Energy Future initiative, which was announced in late 2017. It set a goal of achieving zero net electricity costs by the end of this financial year.
Another recently completed project under the program was the installation of 260 solar panels helping to power wastewater operations in Lobethal, in the Adelaide Hills area.
More than 30 SA Water treatment plants, pump stations and depots across South Australia have had solar installed, for a very impressive collective total of 360,000+ panels so far.
Under the Zero Cost Energy Future program, SA Water is investing more than $300 million on approximately 152 megawatts of solar power capacity, along with 34 MWh of energy storage.
SA Water’s Thirst For Power
It’s not surprising SA Water is one of South Australia’s biggest consumers of electricity when you consider some of its infrastructure, which includes:
- 44 water treatment plants
- 27,178 kilometres of water mains
- 268 water pump stations
- 9,106 kilometres of sewerage mains
- 709 wastewater pump stations
- 28 wastewater treatment plants
- 413 kilometres of recycled water mains.
SA Water has one of the longest supply networks in the southern hemisphere, which delivers 220 billion litres of water each year. In 2018-19, which was a particularly dry period, electricity for powering its operations across South Australia cost $83 million.
It’s expected that when complete, the solar power rollout will generate 242 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually, equivalent to 70 per cent of SA Water’s electricity requirements in an average weather and water consumption year.
But solar isn’t the only tool the utility is using to achieve its zero-cost energy goal – also included is demand scheduling, energy efficiency and what SA Water refers to “energy market levers” that will position it to effectively manage long-term energy usage.
“Importantly, our progressive leap forward will help the global transition to a low-carbon future.”
Just the Swan Reach to Stockwell Pipeline second pump station PV installation is expected to avoid 2,240 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions every year.
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