BHP has joined the South Australian Government and other industry players to announce the Northern Water Supply Project (NWSP) will progress to the next phase of study.

The desalination pipeline proposal is being developed in partnership between government and industry to be a multi-user facility, available to many sectors and businesses in South Australia’s Upper Spencer Gulf and Far North regions.

The studies will examine the construction of a 260 megalitre a day desalination plant on Eyre Peninsula and a 600 kilometre pipeline to transport desalinated water to the Far North.

BHP’s Asset President Copper South Australia Anna Wiley said: “The Northern Water Supply Project is strategic infrastructure with the potential to benefit multiple sectors and businesses.”

“We are pleased to partner with government and others in industry to progress further studies as we work towards a commercially sound, multi-user water project.

“Global demand for copper is growing fast, and the opportunity for South Australia is significant.

“BHP has created an integrated copper province that we hope will bring the scale required to economically and sustainably produce and process more copper here in SA and deliver it to global customers.

“The Northern Water Supply Project will support our South Australian copper operations and growth ambitions.”