Industries and Mines Water Supply Company (IMWASCO)

What Industries and Mines Water Supply Company (IMWASCO) does

Industries and Mines Water Supply Company (IMWASCO) is a privately held, state-affiliated infrastructure enterprise headquartered in Tehran, established in 1399 (2020-2021) under the support of Iran's Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade (IMIDRO) and seven founding shareholders that include Mobarakeh Steel, Golgohar Mining & Industrial Company, National Iranian Copper Industries Company (NICICO), Chadormalu Mining & Industrial, Gohar Zamin Iron Ore, Khorasan Steel, and Opal Parsian Sangan. The company's mandate, formalized under the Oman Sea Water Transfer Law (passed by Parliament in Bahman 1400), is to execute and operate the national seawater desalination and transmission megaproject supplying eastern Iran's three most water-stressed provinces: Sistan & Baluchestan, South Khorasan, and Razavi Khorasan.

IMWASCO's physical platform comprises three interlocked asset groups: (i) the Gishab intake and pre-treatment complex near Chabahar, anchored by the world's largest concrete offshore water intake structure (262 m × 12.2 m × 3.4 m, 12,000 tons), with 5.2 million m³/day raw intake capacity from 12 m depth in the Oman Sea; (ii) the Shahid Mahdi Servants 100,000 m³/day land-based reverse osmosis desalination plant near Zahedan — described as the largest onshore desalination plant globally; and (iii) the 1,340 km Oman Sea-to-Mashhad transmission corridor, comprising pipelines of 900-2,200 mm diameter, 19 pumping stations, two major tunnels (Javroud 12.2 km, Kameh 1.3 km), and a 138 km Sangan branch line. Total transmission design capacity is 230 million m³/year plus 50 MCM for the coastal strip, with 115 MCM/year earmarked for Sistan & Baluchestan municipal supply.

The business model combines regulated municipal water tariffs (sold via state utilities coordinated by the Ministry of Energy and Iran Water & Wastewater Company) with long-term industrial offtake contracts to shareholder mining and steel customers along the corridor. Total project cost is 161 trillion Iranian rials (~$3.265 billion), funded through 15 trillion rials of registered capital, a $1.3 billion financial participation agreement from the National Development Fund of Iran (signed May 2024), bank financing, and shareholder equity. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; the CEO has cited plant-gate production cost of approximately $0.78/m³ and end-of-line industrial cost at Mashhad of approximately €4/m³. As of mid-2025 the project was 18.37% physically complete overall (32.71% on the Zahedan segment), targeted for full completion to Mashhad by end of 1405 (March 2027), with the Zahedan municipal supply commissioning already achieved.

Name

Industries and Mines Water Supply Company (IMWASCO)

Legal name

شرکت تأمین آب صنایع و معادن (ایمواسکو)

Website

https://imwas-co.ir

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

IMWASCO is a Tehran-based, IMIDRO-supervised infrastructure company that operates Iran's largest seawater desalination and 1,340 km pipeline megaproject, supplying desalinated water from the Oman Sea to industrial, mining, and municipal customers across three eastern provinces of Iran.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Desalination and Transmission Infrastructure

NAICS

Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYIMAHAEAJ

Water & Wastewater Treatment Plant Equipment (Clarifiers, Aeration, Membrane Systems)

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Industrial Machinery & Heavy Equipment/Process & Industrial Plant Equipment

SECONDARYTLAGAHAI

Water Conveyance Tunnels & Large-Diameter Pressure Mains (Long-Distance)

Transportation & Logistics/Pipeline Transportation/Water & Wastewater Pipeline Conveyance (Long-Distance/Interbasin)

SECONDARYTLAGAHAF

Reclaimed/Reuse Water Transmission Pipelines (Regional/Interbasin)

Transportation & Logistics/Pipeline Transportation/Water & Wastewater Pipeline Conveyance (Long-Distance/Interbasin)

SECONDARYTLAGAHAC

Non-Potable/Industrial Water Conveyance Pipelines (Bulk/Interbasin)

Transportation & Logistics/Pipeline Transportation/Water & Wastewater Pipeline Conveyance (Long-Distance/Interbasin)

Keywords

• Seawater desalination services
• Industrial water supply
• Water transmission infrastructure
• Mining water solutions
• Municipal drinking water

Headquarters

HQ city

Tehran

HQ country

Iran

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Water Supply to Industries and Mines: IMWASCO generates revenue by supplying desalinated seawater to industrial and mining enterprises along the eastern corridor of Iran. Water is sold under long-term guaranteed purchase agreements to industrial consumers and mines in Sistan & Baluchestan, South Khorasan, and Razavi Khorasan provinces. The company leverages its mining/industrial shareholders (Golgohar, NICICO, Chadormalu, Mobarakeh Steel, Gohar Zamin, Khorasan Steel, Opal Parsian Sangan) as primary offtake customers.
2. Drinking Water Supply to Municipal Populations: IMWASCO supplies drinking water to municipal populations in eastern provinces under government contracts, coordinated with the Ministry of Energy and the Iran Water and Wastewater Company. Revenue is derived from water sale tariffs regulated by the government.
3. Government Subsidies and Investment Incentives: The project receives government investment incentives, subsidies, and support under the Oman Sea Water Transfer Law. The National Development Fund contributes $1.3 billion in financial partnership. Additional support includes tax incentives for industrial water consumers to encourage investment.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

IMWASCO desal seawater from the Oman Sea and transmits it via a 1,340 km pipeline to eastern Iranian provinces, supplying industrial and mining operations, municipalities, and coastal zones. Core assets include the world's largest offshore water intake structure at Gishab (Chabahar), a 100,000 m³/day land-based RO desalination plant at Zahedan, and a pipeline network spanning Sistan and Baluchestan, South Khorasan, and Razavi Khorasan provinces. The company operates under a dedicated parliamentary framework and serves as the principal supplier of desalinated water to Iran's mineral-rich eastern corridor.

Product overview

IMWASCO operates a large-scale water infrastructure portfolio centered on seawater desalination and long-distance transmission. The core offering consists of the Oman Sea Water Transmission System — a ~1,340 km pipeline network with 19 pumping stations delivering desalinated water to eastern Iranian provinces — supported by the Gishab intake and desalination complex in Chabahar (featuring the world's largest marine water intake structure) and the Zahedan 100,000 m³/day dry-land desalination plant (the world's largest). Operational systems include internal portals for tender management and production control. The company is a state-affiliated infrastructure enterprise, not a software product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Zahedan 100,000 m³/day Seawater Desalination Plant (Shahid Mahdi Servants / آب شیرین کن یکصدهزار متر مکعبی شهدای خدمت زاهدان) Large-scale seawater reverse osmosis desalination facility near Zahedan producing 100,000 m³ of fresh water per day for municipal drinking water supply in Sistan and Baluchestan Province.
• Oman Sea Water Transmission System to Eastern Provinces (سامانه انتقال آب از دریای عمان به استان‌های شرقی کشور) Cross-province water transmission pipeline system spanning approximately 1,340 km main line plus 138 km Sangan branch, using steel pipes of 900–2,200 mm diameter with 19 pumping stations and tunnels (Tunnel-e Javroud 12.2 km, Tunnel-e Kameh 1.3 km), transporting desalinated seawater at 230 million m³/year plus 50 MCM for the coastal strip.
• Gishab Desalination and Seawater Intake Facilities, Chabahar (تأسیسات آبگیری و نمک‌زدایی گیشاب چابهار) Seawater intake and desalination complex at Gishab in Chabahar featuring the world's largest marine water intake and bypass concrete structure, supplying raw water for downstream desalination and pipeline transmission across eastern Iran.
• Pumping Stations Network (ایستگاه‌های پمپاژ) Network of 19 pumping stations supporting pressurized water transmission along the 1,340 km pipeline route across eastern Iran, with dedicated power supply infrastructure (substations and transmission lines built by MAPNA Group).
• Gishab Breakwater (Wave Breaker) Infrastructure Coastal breakwater infrastructure at Gishab near Chabahar protecting the offshore water intake and desalination facilities, enabling raw seawater draw under controlled conditions at 12 m depth from the Oman Sea.

Quantifiable outcome

• 115 million m³/year of desalinated water allocated for drinking water supply to Sistan & Baluchestan
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MAPNA Group (Mapna Tose'e 3 / مپنا)coreTechnology or Integration · 2 August 1403MAPNA signed a contract with IMWASCO on 2 Mordad 1403 for the construction of electricity substations, transmission lines, and ultra-distribution power infrastructure to supply electricity to pumping stations 2 through 7 of the Oman Sea water desalination and transmission project. This partnership provides the critical power infrastructure to operate the desalination plants and pumping stations along the pipeline route.
• Organization for the Development and Renovation of Mines and Mining Industries of Iran (IMIDRO/ایمیدرو)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1400IMIDRO is the parent organization providing strategic oversight and governance for IMWASCO. The Chairman of IMIDRO's Board appoints IMWASCO's CEO. IMIDRO coordinates with IMWASCO on water supply planning for mining industries and provides institutional backing for government approvals and financing.
• Danial Petro Company (شرکت دانیال پترو)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDanial Petro was selected as the lowest-bid contractor for the path construction and land acquisition section of the Mashhad to Torbat-e Heydarieh segment (123 km), with a 14-month contract. The company is responsible for route preparation and construction of this section of the pipeline corridor.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sidem (Veolia): Veolia-owned EPC contractor specializing in large-scale seawater desalination plants, including the world's largest RO facilities. Direct peer to IMWASCO on the desalination plant engineering, procurement, and construction dimension.
• ACWA Power: Saudi-listed developer and operator of large-scale seawater desalination and power projects globally. Direct peer to IMWASCO as a privately structured, government-backed mega-project developer of desalination capacity for industrial and municipal end-users.
• Metito: UAE-headquartered water treatment and desalination EPC and project developer with Middle East project focus. Comparable to IMWASCO in delivering industrial and municipal desalination in emerging markets.
• Doosan Enerbility: South Korean EPC contractor that has built some of the world's largest seawater desalination plants. Direct peer to IMWASCO on the engineering and construction of large-scale RO desalination infrastructure.
• IDE Technologies: Israel-based desalination technology provider and project developer, owner of multiple world-scale RO plants. Comparable to IMWASCO in deploying membrane-based desalination at industrial and municipal scale.
• Acciona Agua: Spanish water infrastructure arm of Acciona, active in large-scale seawater desalination and water treatment concessions. Direct peer to IMWASCO as a developer and operator of industrial/municipal desalination assets.

Emerging players

• Aquatech International: US-based water and process technology company serving industrial and municipal clients with desalination, reuse, and zero-liquid-discharge solutions. Emerging player peer to IMWASCO on industrial water treatment infrastructure.

Broad incumbents

• National Water Company (Saudi Arabia): Saudi state-owned water utility responsible for municipal water distribution across the Kingdom. Broad incumbent peer to IMWASCO as a state-affiliated municipal water utility with desalination-fed supply networks.
• Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC): Saudi Arabia state-owned enterprise operating the world's largest desalination capacity portfolio. Comparable to IMWASCO as a state-affiliated national desalination utility supplying municipal and industrial customers.
• Cadagua (Ferrovial): Spanish water infrastructure EPC and concession company (Ferrovial subsidiary), focused on large-scale desalination and water treatment plants. Broad peer to IMWASCO on water treatment EPC and long-term operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/imwasco

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Industries and Mines Water Supply Company (IMWASCO)