Acwa Signs Joint Agreement for Integrated Seawater Desalination Plant in Indonesia

JAKARTA, Indonesia and RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Aug. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Saudi-listed Acwa (formerly ACWA Power), the world's largest private water desalination company, a leader in the energy transition, and a first mover into green hydrogen at scale, has signed a Joint Development Agreement with PT GARAM, Indonesia's state-owned salt enterprise, to develop the country's first utility-scale integrated seawater desalination and industrial salt production facility.

The agreement was signed by Abraham Mose, President Director of PT GARAM, and Tim Anderson, Chief Executive Officer of PT Acwa Power Indonesia, at Danantara's office in Jakarta and witnessed by H.E. Rosan Roeslani, Chief Executive Officer of Danantara and Minister of Investment of the Republic of Indonesia. Planned for Manyar in Gresik, East Java, and valued at approximately USD 400 million, the facility will combine a seawater reverse-osmosis (SWRO) plant with an integrated salt production line, producing around 62,500 cubic meters of desalinated water per day and approximately 500,000 tons of high-purity industrial salt a year.

Dr. Samir J. Serhan, Chief Executive Officer of Acwa, said: "Indonesia is an important growth market for Acwa, and this agreement represents another step in our commitment to supporting the country's long-term water and industrial needs. By combining our expertise in large-scale seawater desalination with the production of high-purity industrial salt, we have an opportunity to deliver an integrated solution that strengthens water security while supporting Indonesia's ambition to increase domestic salt production. We look forward to working closely with PT GARAM and Danantara to advance this important project."

The project is designed on a Build-Own-Operate basis and will be developed through a project company established in Indonesia, using a limited or non-recourse project financing structure anchored in the project's own cash flows. Indonesia currently imports more than 4 million tons of industrial salt a year, with demand expected to rise to more than 7.7 million tons by 2028. By recovering high-purity salt as a co-product of the desalination brine-management process, the Gresik facility is designed to increase domestic salt supply while providing a reliable source of desalinated water for industrial use. The project also creates the potential, subject to feasibility, to recover additional marine minerals from the same process.

Abraham Mose, President Director of PT GARAM, said: "The signing of this Joint Development Agreement marks a significant milestone for PT GARAM in building a salt industry that is more modern, efficient, and competitive. This enables Indonesia to increase salt production capacity while also building an industrial ecosystem that integrates desalination technology, industrial salt production, energy efficiency, and the potential for developing other marine minerals. Technology and knowledge transfer are central to this collaboration, and our aim is to ensure that Indonesia has world-scale production facilities alongside the workforce capable of operating and developing them sustainably."

Tim Anderson, Chief Executive Officer of PT Acwa Power Indonesia, said: "This is a strong foundation for developing an integrated solution tailored to Indonesia's needs. Combining desalinated water and high-purity industrial salt production within a single facility creates the potential to address two important national priorities at once. Our focus will now be on working closely with PT GARAM to progress the project responsibly and establish the foundations for its successful long-term development."

Under the agreement, Acwa will contribute its experience in desalination project development, technology selection, technical design, financing structure, engineering, procurement, and construction, as well as long-term operations and maintenance. The collaboration also includes knowledge and technology transfer, training, and the sharing of operating protocols with personnel from PT GARAM and the project company. PT GARAM will lead site readiness and project access, permitting, and stakeholder coordination in Indonesia, and the development of markets and commercial channels for the facility's output.

Acwa holds more than 98 GW of global power capacity, including more than 52 GW of renewable energy, and is the world's largest private water desalination company. Its global experience in developing, financing, constructing, and operating large-scale water and power infrastructure, together with its growing presence in Indonesia, positions the company to support the country's long-term demand for reliable and sustainable water solutions.

Learn more: www.acwapower.com