CANNON Artes Breaks Ground On Large-Scale Seawater Desalination Plant For 3GW Power Project In Saudi Arabia

• Discover how CANNON Artes is driving sustainable water and energy management in Saudi Arabia with a 34,000 m³/day seawater desalination plant for the 3GW Hajr Expansion project — combining advanced UF, RO, and EDI technologies for maximum efficiency and reliability.
• CANNON Artes will unveil its new project in Hall 2, booth 2112 at ADIPEC 2025 (Abu Dhabi, UAE, November 3 to 6).

CANNON Artes has been awarded the contract for the engineering and supply of a large-scale seawater desalination treatment plant for the Hajr Expansion CCGT IPP Project, a 3GW combined-cycle gas-fired power plant located in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province.

The desalination plant forms part of a USD 2.6 billion combined-cycle power project developed by a joint venture between ACWA Power, the Saudi Electricity Company, and Haji Abdullah Alireza & Co., with Orascom Construction and Técnicas Reunidas as the EPC contractors.

The project, recently assigned and now entering its detailed design phase, represents a significant technological achievement in industrial water treatment and desalination under extremely challenging conditions.

The new facility will treat 34,000 m³ of high-salinity seawater per day, producing demineralized water for steam generation, potable water for plant consumption, and service water for various utilities. Designed to ensure optimal performance and long-term reliability, the system exceeds local regulatory requirements while reinforcing CANNON Artes’ commitment to environmental sustainability and resource efficiency.

The desalination plant integrates CANNON Artes’ most advanced membrane technologies, including Ultrafiltration (UF) and Reverse Osmosis (RO) systems, each featuring nearly 22,000 m² of active membrane area, followed by Electrodeionization (EDI) for final polishing. In addition, a remineralization section with calcite filters will restore calcium and alkalinity to improve water stability and reduce corrosivity.

“This project highlights CANNON Artes’ ability to manage highly complex and large-scale water treatment challenges, meeting the most demanding efficiency and environmental standards,” said Mauro Monti, Area Manager CANNON Artes. “Our integrated expertise, from process design to full plant delivery, allows us to deliver tailor-made solutions for critical industrial infrastructures worldwide.”

This project further consolidates CANNON Artes’ position as a global leader in advanced industrial water treatment, serving the power generation, oil & gas, energy downstream, and petrochemical sectors. The company’s approach, integrating process and detail design, procurement, manufacturing, assembling, testing, and delivery, ensures total control over quality and performance in every project.