Tuesday, Nov 17, 2009
A Melbourne company has been awarded a $43 million deal to supply power cable to the state’s controversial desalination plant at Wonthaggi, south-east of the state capital.
Tottenham-based Olex will supply high-voltage alternating current power cable for the project’s 87-kilometre underground power supply.
Industry and Trade minister Martin Pakula says the $3.5 billion desalination project is providing downstream manufacturing contracts and jobs as well as securing the state’s water supplies.
The plant has been bitterly opposed by environmental groups and some local residents who say the government should be recycling billions of litres of waste water pumped into the sea south-east of Melbourne.
Mr Pakula said the government had responded to community concerns about overhead power supply for the desal plant by placing power cables underground.
“I am very pleased that these cables will be produced by Olex which is not only a local firm but a global leader in this technology,” he said.
Olex will supply about 225km of the total 260km of copper cable required, with the remaining 35km coming from Belgium.
Mr Pakula said the project was expected to create 4,750 full-time equivalent jobs during construction and 150 full-time equivalent jobs to support the continuing operation, maintenance and servicing of the plant.
