Hyundai Engineering & Construction (Hyundai E&C) has secured a ₩4.39 trillion (US$3.16 billion) contract to build a major seawater treatment plant in Iraq, marking one of its largest undertakings in the country’s energy infrastructure sector.
The project is part of the broader Common Seawater Supply Project (CSSP), a strategic initiative designed to boost crude oil production across Iraq’s southern oil fields.
The new facility will be constructed at Khor Al Zubair Port, situated around 500 kilometres south-east of Baghdad.
Once operational, it will feature a daily processing capacity of five million barrels of seawater and play a crucial role in sustaining production from mature oil reservoirs.
By injecting treated seawater into the reservoirs, the project will help maintain pressure and prolong extraction efficiency.
Freshwater produced in the process will also be supplied to major nearby oil fields, including West Qurna and Rumaila.
Hyundai E&C expects construction to be completed within 49 months, underlining the scale and complexity of the facility.
The project represents the largest contract secured by the company in Iraq since its $6 billion Karbala oil refinery, which was completed in 2023.
That earlier refinery development underscored Hyundai’s ability to deliver critical infrastructure in Iraq, even amid challenging operating conditions.
The CSSP is being jointly developed with significant international involvement.
France’s TotalEnergies, QatarEnergy LNG, and Iraq’s state-owned Basra Oil Company are all engaged in the project, reflecting its strategic importance to the country’s future energy output and its reliance on international expertise and investment.
In a statement outlining the award, Hyundai E&C highlighted the continued confidence that Iraq’s authorities and partners have placed in the company.
“This contract was primarily driven by the strong trust placed in Hyundai E&C, which has carried out major national projects in Iraq over the years, contributing to economic growth despite challenges such as wars and Covid-19,” the company said.
Hyundai E&C’s international project pipeline has been growing steadily, with the Iraq facility joining an expanding list of high-value developments.
In South Korea, the company, along with Hyundai Engineering, launched construction in 2023 on one of the world’s largest petrochemical complexes in Ulsan.
Known as the Shaheen project, the development is being undertaken by S-OIL, a subsidiary of Saudi Aramco, and represents an investment of Won9.26 trillion.
Construction began with a ground-breaking ceremony in February last year and is scheduled for completion in 2026.
The Iraq contract reflects the company’s strong presence in both Middle Eastern and global energy infrastructure projects.
The seawater treatment plant at Khor Al Zubair is expected to become a cornerstone of Iraq’s oil production strategy, ensuring sustainable field management across some of its most productive reserves.
By securing long-term engineering assignments across multiple regions, Hyundai E&C continues to reinforce its role as a key player in large-scale energy and infrastructure development.
The contract demonstrates not only the trust built with Iraq’s government and oil sector but also the company’s capacity to deliver complex projects reliably over extended timelines.
With construction expected to span just over four years, stakeholders view the project as a critical component of Iraq’s future energy resilience and industrial stability.
