Rail Baltica

Rail Baltica

There are a very few projects which are as effective in uniting a region’s economic concerns by  building a robust supporting infrastructure as a transit rail project which goes through the heart of the countries. One such project is Rail Baltica. Connecting five European countries- Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland, it spans over 870 km in length. More than €5 bn has been invested into the project.  

Considered to be the largest Baltic-region infrastructure project in the last 100 years, it is also one of the most environmentally friendly projects as it is fully electrified, ensuring no carbon emissions are produced. The entire network has been built with state-of-the-art and latest, modern technologies. “With trains travelling at up to 240 km/hour, a trip from Tallinn in Estonia to the Polish-Lithuanian border will take just four hours. Up to 85 percent support is needed from the EU, with the other 15 percent coming from the cash-strapped Baltic governments and the private sector in each country. The countries are forming a joint venture to move the project forward, with construction due to start in 2018 and finish by 2023” (KPMG).

(Image Credits: Ministry of Latvia)

Southern Seawater Desalination Plant

Southern Seawater Desalination Plant

“Asset management has also proven critical in Australia’s water sector. The country spent billions building six huge seawater desalination plants during a severe drought from 1997 to 2009. Today, four are shut down because the cost of the water became non-competitive when rain finally came. The judges noted that desalination is not cheap, but it may be essential for growing cities in unpredictable arid climates” (KPMG). 

One such important project which being undertaken in recent times is the Southern Seawater Desalination Plant. The plant is being set up 150 kilometres south of Perth. It was initially scheduled to open in September 2011 and was expected to deliver 50 giga litres of potable water. But now it has bee fully operational since January 2013 and delivers 100 giga litres of water. It supplies to entire Western Australia which has recorded some of the driest temperatures. One distinct feature of this project is that its energy requirements are met by a 10 MW solar farm and 55 MW wind farm.

(Image Credit: Water-technology.net)