Consultant GHD is to lead a multi-disciplinary team serving as owner’s engineer (OE) for the 50 MGD (189,000 m³/d) Huntingdon Beach desalination project in California, USA.
The team will undertake a range of advisory and engineering services as OE, including assisting developer Poseidon Resources (Surfside) LLC to prepare contractual bid documentation paving the way for the engineering, procurement and construction of the project. GHD is also OE for Poseidon’s Carlsbad desalination plant.
The Huntington Beach project is in the final phase of the permitting process. Poseidon has applied for a Coastal Development Permit from the California Coastal Commission and expects the commission to consider approval of the permit later this year. This would be the final permit necessary to commence project construction, anticipated for the second half of 2013.
The OE team will undertake a range of advisory and engineering services, including assisting Poseidon to prepare contractual bid documentation paving the way for the engineering, procurement and construction of the project.
GHD will be supported by firms with extensive experience in implementing large-scale projects in Southern California and internationally. This team includes: PricewaterhouseCoopers, Snell & Wilmer, Valoriza, ARB Inc., Butier Engineering, Dr Scott Jenkins from the Scripps Institute of Oceanography, Dudek, RBF (Baker), Trussell Technologies, MBC Environmental, Southland Industries and Porter Novelli.
“GHD was selected following a competitive process that involved a number of highly- qualified teams,” said Poseidon vice president Scott Maloni. “We are encouraged by the broad international interest in the project and look forward to working with GHD to move the project into its next phase of delivery.”
The consultant has extensive global experience in the implementation of large-scale seawater desalination plants, having most recently assisted the state governments of New South Wales and Victoria in Australia to implement the 250,000 m³/d Sydney Desalination Plant and the 415,000 m³/d Victorian Desalination Plant.
GHD’s executive-in-charge of the Americas, Richard Wankmuller, said, “We are delighted to be selected to work with Poseidon. The project will contribute significantly to the security of water supply in the region for future generations.”