We operate careful water management strategies across all of our sites to ensure the most efficient use of this precious resource, which is a vital part of the electricity generation process.

As a result, we have reduced our overall water intensity (the amount of water consumed per megawatt hour of energy sent out) by 11% in 2008/09 compared to 2007/08.
 

Recycling

Swanbank Power Station sources the majority of its water from the Western Corridor Recycled Water project, Australia’s largest recycled water project. Swanbank then reuses this water up to eight times through the power station.

At Mica Creek Power Station, we cycle cooling water up to 12 times through the station and provide up to one million litres of wastewater per day to the nearby Xstrata mine for reuse.

In 2002, Mica Creek was awarded the GE Water Technologies ‘Return on Environment Partnership Award’ in recognition of its water treatment program. This global award is presented to organisations that have significantly reduced the environmental impact of their operations.