IDE Technologies has signed a contract with the State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu Limited (SIPCOT) for the design, construction, and long-term operation of a seawater reverse osmosis desalination plant in Tamil Nadu, India. The project will be executed in partnership with Jindal Water Infrastructure Limited and Vishnusurya Projects and Infra and is intended to strengthen the region’s drinking water supply.
The desalination facility will have a capacity of 60 million litres per day and will supply potable water to Mullakadu in the Tuticorin district. The project is part of Tamil Nadu’s broader effort to address water shortages driven by population growth, industrial expansion, and limited freshwater availability.
Under the agreement, IDE Technologies will be responsible for engineering, procurement, and construction of the plant, as well as its operation and maintenance for a period of 15 years after commissioning. The project will be delivered under a Hybrid Annual Model through a public-private partnership framework.
IDE was selected for the project following a competitive bidding process involving three qualified companies. The company’s experience in large-scale desalination projects and long-term plant operations contributed to its selection, according to project stakeholders.
The plant will use seawater reverse osmosis technology, a process that applies pressure to seawater to separate dissolved salts and impurities through semi-permeable membranes. This produces fresh water suitable for domestic use, while the remaining concentrated brine is managed separately. Reverse osmosis systems are widely used in coastal regions as a reliable method of producing drinking water independent of rainfall or river flows.
Nayan Shah, Director of Sales and Marketing at IDE India, said the project aligns with the company’s focus on supporting communities facing water stress. He noted that working with local and national partners is essential to delivering infrastructure that meets long-term water needs.
IDE Technologies operates desalination and water treatment facilities for municipal and industrial clients in multiple regions worldwide. The company is involved in the development, construction, and operation of both membrane-based and thermal desalination plants, as well as industrial water treatment systems. The SIPCOT project marks another step in IDE’s continued expansion in India’s water infrastructure sector.
