Baker Hughes, an energy technology company, announced Thursday it is expanding its Industrial & Energy Technology (IET) Damman Center in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. Once completed, the expansion is expected to create 60 new jobs and will add capacity for the current manufacturing and repairs of compression trains, seal gas and control panels. In addition, the expanded site will add capabilities for the manufacturing and testing of vibration monitoring systems and for gears repairs.
The announcement was made at a groundbreaking ceremony hosted by Baker Hughes and attended by representatives from the Ministry of Energy, executives from the company’s long-term strategic partner Aramco, and local suppliers.
Since opening in 2018, the center has delivered 50 compression trains for major gas and hydrogen projects in Saudi Arabia, including NEOM and Jafurah. The expansion is expected to nearly double the center’s headcount and is scheduled to be completed by March 2025.
“We are proud to be investing in local talent and new skill development while growing our footprint in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” said Alberto Matucci, vice president, Gas Technology Equipment, IET at Baker Hughes. “The Dammam site is crucial to supporting major gas and hydrogen project developments across the Kingdom that are further strengthening the resilience of the country’s energy system with reliable and additional alternative lower emission fuel sources. We look forward to continuing our partnership and supporting Saudi Arabia’s sustainable energy development journey.”
As Saudi Arabia continues to expand capacity in gas and hydrogen production to support increased electricity power generation, Baker Hughes has provided a range of localized and tailored solutions. The expansion of the Dammam facility follows other recent announcements, including a significant gas technology order for Aramco’s Master Gas System 3 project, and the delivery of the first two trains of advanced hydrogen compression solutions to Air Products for the in the Kingdom, the largest project of its kind in the world.