Desal Discovery Centre to open this week

The new state government-funded desalination testing and water science education facilities which house the National Centre of Excellence in Desalination Australia at Murdoch University’s Rockingham campus will be unveiled at the ceremony.

The NCEDA manages $20 million of research funding over five years from the Australian Government’s National Urban Water and Desalination Plan. NCEDA is a consortium of 13 universities and CSIRO collaborating to improve desalination technology with Australian and international research institutions, private companies, water and power utilities, and government agencies.  

The opening coincides with about 1200 desalination industry delegates in WA for the IDA World Congress on Desalination Solutions in Perth, September 4-9. The Congress, sponsored by the Water Corporation with technical program coordinated by NCEDA CEO Neil Palmer, features keynote addresses by Sir Richard Branson (via satellite) and Philippe Cousteau Jr.

The NCEDA’s new state-of-the-art Rockingham facility which features laboratories, pilot plant testing facilities, multimedia conference room and a Desal Discovery Centre for schoolchildren.

Industry support for the new NCEDA facilities will also be honoured at the opening with thanks for new gold sponsorships and donations of $500,000 worth of new plant and equipment.

NCEDA CEO Neil Palmer says that by the end of 2012 up to half of all of Perth’s and Adelaide’s public water needs will come from desalination – Australia’s six major coastal desal plants are capable of supplying 35% of our major capital cities’ water.

The public will get their chance to view the NCEDA facilities at a special Open Day on October 19 as part of National Water Week and school groups will be invited to tour throughout 2012.

For more information visit: www.desalination.edu.au; http://www.idadesal.org/PDF/idawc2011_technicalprogram.pdf