 Fuel production at Geelong refinery requires a large amount of water, mostly to feed the boilers to produce steam for the refinery operations. More than a third of the water used at the refinery is recovered and reused.
The steam condensate recovery project along with other activities such as improving the operation of the refinery’s demineralisation unit and minimising steam leaks, reduced the refinery’s average daily fresh water consumption by nearly 30% during the past five years.
Throughout the year, Shell Geelong Refinery continued working with Barwon Water on a joint project - the Northern Water Plant. If it proceeds, recycled industrial wastewater and sewage would replace most of the fresh water used at the refinery, saving around 5% of Geelong’s drinking water each day.
The refinery is licensed to discharge water used in the refining process from a number of outfalls. This consists mainly of cooling water (used to control temperatures within processing units), as well as run-off water from rainfall and a small amount from other sources.
One issue in the past has been the discharge of oil or oily water into Corio Bay Significant improvement has been achieved at the refinery following the completion of the 2004-2007 Water Master Plan project and improvements in site awareness. The WMPP aimed to reduce the potential for discharge of contaminants to the bay, through the completion of projects that more effectively segregate and treat water. The WMPP was completed in 2007 and around $55 million was invested in this project.
Some of the key achievements made in Water Master Plan were: - Construction of controlled discharge facilities (CDFs), the purpose of which is to ensure surface run-off water (from rainfall) is collected and treated before discharge to bay; and,
- Upgrading of run-off water treatment facilities to remove traces of oil and suspended solids.
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