Hydrogen Production and Ultra-Pure Water: VA Tech Wabag’s Clean Energy Pivot

Ever paused to wonder what really fuels green hydrogen plants and keeps high-tech fabs humming? It isn’t some secret elixir—it’s water, but not the kind you’d find in your sink. Right now, VA Tech Wabag is quietly stealing the limelight as the mastermind behind tomorrow’s clean energy ventures and precision industries.

From a Century of Water Know-How to Cutting-Edge Clean Energy

Founded in 1924 in Chennai, India, VA Tech Wabag Limited cut its teeth tackling municipal water challenges. Fast forward to today, and it’s a globe-trotting leader in advanced water and wastewater management. Under CEO Rajiv Mittal and CFO Skandaprasad Seetharaman, Wabag’s pivoted to serve the ultra-pure water needs of semiconductor fabs, solar makers and ambitious projects in hydrogen production and green hydrogen.

Why Water Matters for Hydrogen Production

It might sound odd to pair water treatment with hydrogen production, but when you’re splitting H₂O in an electrolyzer, your feedwater’s purity isn’t negotiable. A speck of dissolved salt or a whiff of organic residue can foul membranes, jack up costs and stall zero-emission goals. That’s why Wabag’s expertise in polishing water to pharmaceutical-grade levels is a game-changer.

Big Bets in Saudi Arabia and India

This spring, Wabag snagged a juicy $272 million contract for a cutting-edge desalination plant in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia. Picture industrial-scale reverse osmosis, fancy pre-treatment tricks and energy recovery systems, all tuned to churn out ultra-pure water for everyone from factories to municipalities along the Red Sea.

Back in India, Wabag locked down a ₹400+ crore deal with the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board to design and build top-tier wastewater plants. With Bangalore’s population soaring past 13 million, the city’s been wrestling with water stress—and Wabag’s solutions couldn’t come at a better time.

Those wastewater plants in Bangalore aren’t just about meeting today’s demand—they’re about future-proofing the city’s booming tech ecosystem against chronic water shortages.

Tech Spotlight: Zero Liquid Discharge and Ultra-Pure Systems

What powers these projects? A toolkit of multi-stage filtration, precise chemical dosing, advanced membranes—and, in many cases, Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD). ZLD loops every drop back into the system, crystallizes brine and slashes environmental footprints. For semiconductors and green hydrogen hubs, it’s absolutely non-negotiable.

Order Book and Financial Trajectory

Wabag’s bets are paying off. As of September 2025, its order book sits at around ₹16,000 crore, with another ₹3,500 crore in preferred-bidder status. Management’s eyeing 13–14% operating margins for FY26 and forecasting a 15–20% revenue CAGR over the next three to five years. By 2028, they expect homegrown and overseas revenue splits to hover around 50:50—with two-thirds of the international chunk flowing from the Middle East and Africa.

Ripples Beyond Water

You might be wondering: why should anyone in industrial decarbonization or ammonia markets care about a water company? Simple. Every green hydrogen facility needs rock-solid supply of ultra-pure water to keep electrolyzers healthy, and semiconductor fabs demand contaminant-free feedstock to hit yield targets. By sealing major deals in Yanbu and Bangalore, Wabag is basically underwriting the supply chain for two of tomorrow’s hottest sectors.

Risks and Rewards

Of course, the road isn’t without bumps. Heavy capital outlays, stringent environmental rules and currency or geopolitical shifts—especially in the Middle East—can shake up margins. Plus, rolling out ZLD everywhere can hike energy use unless paired with renewables. On the flip side, smart partnerships with renewable energy providers and local governments can smooth out the ride, helping Wabag marry ZLD tech with green power to keep energy footprints in check.

Looking Ahead

As you track the evolution of hydrogen production and electrolysis, remember: water quality is the secret sauce. Wabag’s strategy—leveraging deep water expertise to serve high-growth, water-hungry industries—offers a blueprint for how a century-old company can drive tomorrow’s breakthroughs.

With every mega-project Wabag tackles, it’s weaving itself more deeply into the fabric of the global push for industrial decarbonization and sustainable growth.

About VA Tech Wabag
Established in 1924, VA Tech Wabag is a Chennai-based multinational specializing in water and wastewater management. Operating in over 30 countries, it delivers desalination plants, ultra-pure water, wastewater treatment and ZLD solutions for municipal and industrial clients. In 2025, Wabag reported an order book of ₹16,000 crore, fueling growth in clean energy-linked areas like solar, semiconductors and green hydrogen.