SUPPORT barge Rebecca Lilly working on the Alkimos Seawater Desalination Plant in Western Australia has been washed ashore after wild overnight weather.
The barge, which the Maritime Union of Australia — WA Branch, says is operated by Acciona, washed ashore at Alkimos Beach after breaking free of its moorings just after midnight when one of the barge’s four mooring lines snapped in heavy seas, according to reporting from The West Australian newspaper.
The barge — the smaller of two used for the major marine works — was supposed to be stationed more than a kilometre offshore. Instead, it drifted toward the coast and became embedded in the sand, where it remained on Tuesday as crews worked to stabilise the structure.
Images published by 7NEWS show the barge sitting high on the beach with excavators digging around its hull to prevent further movement.
A Water Corporation spokesperson told The West Australian the barge had not been damaged in the grounding and confirmed there was no pollution risk, as the vessel was carrying no fuel at the time.
No personnel were onboard when it broke free. The spokesperson said it was too early to confirm when the barge could be refloated and returned to deeper water, but recovery planning was underway.
The desalination project — a key component of WA’s long‑term water‑security strategy — is not expected to be significantly affected by the incident. The barge is used to support offshore construction activities, including works associated with the plant’s intake and outfall structures.
Crews spent much of Tuesday securing the barge in place, with additional anchoring installed to prevent further movement overnight.
Authorities have urged the public to avoid the area while recovery operations continue. The grounding follows a night of strong winds and rough seas across Perth’s northern suburbs, which also caused localised power outages and coastal debris.
According to Seven News the barge is expected to be towed back to sea on Thursday.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday afternoon, the Maritime Union of Australia — WA Branch, said they believed it was not an isolated incident and "the barge has broken moorings numerous times on this Alkimos scope".