Infrastructure SA wishes to notify organisations of the start of the tender process for a seawater desalination plant, including seawater intake and outfall conduits and a transfer pipeline system (“the Northern Water Project”) under a collaborative Design, Build, Operate and Maintain (“DBOM”) contract model.

The Northern Water Project aims to provide a new, sustainable water source for the Far North, Upper Spencer Gulf and Eastern Eyre Peninsula regions of South Australia to enable the growth of industries crucial to achieving net-zero goals, including the emerging green energy and hydrogen industries. For further information, please visit the project website: http://www.northernwater.com.au

Infrastructure SA will be conducting a four-phase tender process as follows:

• Phase 1: Registration of Interest (ROI)
• Phase 2: Request for Expression of Interest (EOI)
• Phase 3: Request for Proposal (RFP)
• Phase 4: RFP Evaluation and Negotiation.

Registration of Interest

Infrastructure SA invites organisations to submit a response to this Invitation for ROI by completing the  ROI Returnable Schedule.

It is requested that the response to this Invitation for ROI is returned via SA Tenders and Contracts by Monday 11 December 2023 at 2.00pm (ACDT).

Organisations that meet the Infrastructure SA’s eligibility requirements of the ROI process, will be notified and provided with a Deed of Confidentiality and further information regarding the EOI process.

Infrastructure SA reserves the right to vary the ROI and EOI processes, including by providing the EOI documentation otherwise than as contemplated in this Invitation for ROI, at any time.

Northern Water Registration of Interest Eligibility

The Northern Water Project requires organisations to meet one or more of the following mandatory eligibility requirements of the ROI process to proceed to the EOI phase:

• A demonstrable track record in design and/or delivery of large seawater desalination plants (80ML/d or greater) including inlet and outlets to the ocean.
• A demonstrable track record in design and/or delivery of major (6 MW or greater) water transfer infrastructure or major (greater than 450 mm diameter and greater than 50 km continuous length) pipelines.
• A demonstrable track record in operations and maintenance of large (as defined above) seawater desalination plants and/or major (as defined above) water transfer infrastructure and/or pipelines.

For avoidance of doubt, all organisations which are considering participating in the Northern Water Project, via consortium or otherwise, are required to respond to this ROI separately. If an organisation is considering forming a consortium with an organisation that has not responded to this ROI, then the organisation that has progressed to the EOI phase must obtain Infrastructure SA's prior written approval to provide the EOI documentation to the organisation that is proposed to join the consortium.

Organisations that cannot meet the Northern Water Project mandatory eligibility requirements of the ROI process or are notified that they will not be progressing to the EOI phase are encouraged to consider and apply for other opportunities in connection with the Northern Water Project. Further information on opportunities arising from the Northern Water Project will be made available at an open Industry Briefing to be conducted at a later date.

The construction of the Northern Water Project requires various consents and approvals under Commonwealth and State legislation, including (but not limited to) the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth), the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016 (SA), and the Environmental Protection Act 1993 (SA). Infrastructure SA acknowledges that Traditional Owner consent will need to be obtained as part of the required approvals to enable construction of the project.