The second tunnel boring machine (TBM) to work on the project, Cora, has been lowered to the bottom of the working shaft and is being assembled into the launch chamber.

The tunnelling works are part of the plant’s outfall and intake pipeline construction. Marine excavation works began in November 2009 with the arrival of the 2,400 tonne jack up barge, the Santa Fe, off the coast of Port Stanvac.

The Santa Fe is expected to complete the installation of the intake and outfall risers in mid-April 2010 before being removed from the site.

Upon completion, the 11.5 kilometre pipeline will deliver desalinated water from Port Stanvac to the Happy Valley water treatment storage area. The Adelaide Desalination Project will deliver up to 100 billion litres of water annually, which is approximately half of Adelaide’s water supply.

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The two 150 tonne TBMs, Nessie and Cora, were named by two Adelaide primary school students. In attendance at the naming ceremony was South Australian Minister for Water Security Minister Karlene Maywald who commented on the environmental benefits of using TBMS on the project.

“Using these two custom-built tunnel boring machines will assist to limit the disturbance of the seabed because no large above-ground pipes will be required for the intake and outfall pipelines,” Ms Maywald said.

The Adelaide Desalination Project is on the way to delivering the first desalinated water by the end of 2010.