Amman — Carbon capture and water recovery technologies are opening a new avenue for Jordan to address water scarcity, but turning the concept from a scientific experiment into a practical solution requires careful local testing, particularly because the cost of producing and transporting water means that any new source must be able to provide clean water at an acceptable cost.
The technology could give Jordan an additional opportunity to improve water and energy efficiency while reducing emissions. However, it does not appear to be an alternative to reducing water losses, reuse and desalination. Rather, it is a limited technological option that could be tested, with the figures ultimately determining whether the recovered water justifies the cost of producing and transporting it.
A study published in Nature Sustainability, a copy of which was obtained by Al Ghad, points to the possibility of combining carbon capture and storage with water recovery, potentially turning emissions reduction into an additional source of water. However, water-sector experts believe that, in Jordan’s case, the concept is more likely to serve as a limited industrial solution than as a large-scale source for supplying cities.
According to experts who spoke to Al Ghad, water vapor can be recovered from flue gases while carbon dioxide is separated, with the possibility of using waste heat to treat or desalinate water. However, the viability of such a system depends on its “water balance” — meaning that the amount of water recovered must exceed the water and energy consumed by capture and treatment processes.
In Jordan, the most realistic opportunity appears to be at industrial facilities or power plants where there are consistent streams of humid gases, available waste heat and nearby demand for water. In such cases, using recovered water at the facility itself may be more economically viable than transporting limited quantities to distant areas, given the additional costs of pumping and transportation.
Experts say scientific potential alone is not enough to justify large-scale adoption. Jordan needs a pilot project capable of measuring the amount and quality of recovered water, energy consumption and the cost per cubic meter, while comparing the results with water-recovery systems operating without carbon capture.
Experts also point out that combining emissions reduction with water recycling is a practical option for Jordan to improve the efficiency of its limited resources, particularly in the industrial sector. They stress that expanding such technologies could help “reduce waste and improve resource management,” lower water costs and enhance the competitiveness of industrial sectors.
Carbon Capture and Water Recovery
Discussing the potential for Jordan to benefit from carbon capture and water recovery technologies, environmental expert Dr. Duraid Mahasneh said carbon capture is an environmental process aimed at limiting the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
He explained that the process consists of three main stages. The first involves capturing emissions from factories, institutions and facilities that release carbon dioxide so that it does not enter the atmosphere. This is a mechanical and chemical process requiring facilities and equipment to be prepared according to technical specifications.
The second stage involves transporting the captured carbon dioxide, while the third concerns its storage. Mahasneh stressed the importance of ensuring that the gas does not return to the atmosphere, emphasizing that “it is very important that carbon dioxide not be released back into the air.”
Regarding the relationship between emissions, climate change and water resources, Mahasneh said reducing carbon dioxide emissions must be accompanied by expanding green areas through afforestation projects and the preservation of vegetation.
He warned that urban expansion at the expense of green and agricultural areas, together with increasing desertification, contributes to higher carbon dioxide emissions.
Mahasneh explained that carbon dioxide emissions are linked to climate change, which in turn affects rainfall and, consequently, water resources. Rising carbon dioxide levels and declining vegetation cover can affect cloud formation and, ultimately, Jordan’s share of water resources.
However, Mahasneh stressed that Jordan’s water challenge is not linked to climate change alone. “Our primary water conflict is regional,” he said, referring to disputes over water rights with Israel.
Jordan also faces domestic challenges related to water-use efficiency, particularly in the agricultural sector, which consumes more than 60% of the country’s water resources, with losses exceeding 40% to 50%, he said.
He stressed the need to address these issues while noting that population growth relative to available water resources represents a critical challenge. This makes the search for additional water sources necessary, including expanding desalination and drilling deep wells to explore new water resources.
Specific Industrial Applications
Dr. Mona Hindieh, a professor at the German Jordanian University, said combining emissions reduction with improved water-resource efficiency could represent an opportunity for Jordan, but its application depends on “specific industrial applications and proving their viability under local conditions.”
She noted that these technologies can reduce freshwater consumption at certain facilities, but turning them into a large-scale source for supplying cities would require clear evidence regarding available quantities, production costs and continuity of supply.
Hindieh said water recovery is particularly important for Jordan given its severe water scarcity. Recovering wasted water is an option worth studying, she said, but it must be assessed against alternatives such as demand management and improving supply efficiency.
Jordan has an interest in testing this approach as a tool to improve industrial efficiency and diversify water solutions, she said. However, expansion should be based on verifiable results, alongside continued efforts to reduce water losses, increase reuse and improve energy efficiency.
She added that such technologies become viable when they “provide clean water at an acceptable cost at a location where it is needed,” while also delivering reliable emissions reductions.
One form of integration between the two technologies involves recovering water vapor from flue gases through condensation or membranes while separating carbon dioxide within an integrated industrial system. Waste heat could also be used in some designs for water treatment or desalination.
Hindieh stressed the need to distinguish between scientific potential and commercial performance. Experimental studies have demonstrated the possibility of recovering water and heat from gases simulating flue gases, but they have also highlighted the need to test the impact of particles and acidic gases present in actual emissions and to conduct a cost-benefit analysis.
“Laboratory results cannot be directly generalized to facilities in Jordan,” she said, adding that they cannot alone be used to determine the local cost of producing a cubic meter of water.
The most realistic approach for Jordan, she said, would be to assess facilities with consistent flows of humid gases, available waste heat and nearby demand for industrial water.
The study could include suitable power plants or factories, with sites selected on the basis of actual measurements, since high emissions from a facility do not necessarily mean that large quantities of recoverable water are available.
Hindieh said using recovered water at the same facility, after treatment according to its intended use, may be more practical because it reduces demand for freshwater and limits the need to transport and pump water over long distances.
By contrast, transporting limited quantities of recovered water to distant areas could add costs that make a project less competitive. She stressed that this assessment reflects Jordan’s practical circumstances and does not replace a comprehensive local feasibility study.
She said the “water balance” is the most important test for evaluating the approach, requiring a comparison between the amount of water that can be recovered and the quantities consumed by cooling systems, carbon-capture units and treatment processes.
Some carbon capture and storage pathways require water, she explained, meaning the benefits could decline if additional water consumption exceeds the amount recovered. This makes it necessary to assess the entire system, including the stage of handling carbon after it has been separated.
From an economic perspective, Hindieh said investment, operating, energy and maintenance costs, as well as water treatment and transportation costs, must all be taken into account. The costs of compressing, transporting and storing or utilizing carbon must also be considered.
The viability of such projects could improve when they generate savings in both water and energy, she said. However, she warned against basing decisions on the assumption of guaranteed revenues from carbon sales or carbon credits.
Carbon separation alone does not guarantee a lasting climate benefit, she explained, as the ultimate fate of the carbon and emissions generated by operating the system also determine the overall outcome.
Hindieh said the most appropriate starting point for Jordan would be a limited pilot project measuring the quantity and quality of net recovered water, energy consumption and the cost per cubic meter under different seasonal operating conditions.
She also stressed the importance of comparing the project with water-recovery systems operating independently of carbon capture, in order to determine whether adding carbon capture provides enough additional value to justify the associated costs.
Reducing the Carbon Footprint
Former Secretary-General of the Ministry of Water and Irrigation Eyad Al-Dahiyat said combining emissions reduction with water recycling represents an opportunity to improve resource efficiency in Jordan, particularly in industrial sectors.
He said expanding such technologies would support the green transition, reduce the carbon footprint and ease pressure on the country’s limited water resources.
Practical applications have already begun in Jordan, he noted, including a project by the Jordan Phosphate Mines Company’s KEMAPCO subsidiary aimed at reducing 150,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent annually, as well as a project to recycle industrial water used in phosphate washing at the Al-Shidiya mine.
The latter project aims to save 70% of the groundwater currently used daily for this purpose.
Al-Dahiyat said the recycling project could save 2.51 million cubic meters of water annually, equivalent to the needs of around 70,000 people, and could eventually save 50 million cubic meters over 20 years.
He considered expanding similar projects a practical path toward improving water-use efficiency and strengthening the competitiveness of Jordanian industry, particularly given the rising cost of securing water resources and the need for solutions that reduce water consumption rather than relying solely on increasing supply.
Al-Dahiyat added that the benefits of such projects extend beyond saving water and reducing emissions. They also enhance the ability of industrial sectors to meet “growing environmental requirements in global markets” and secure international and domestic financing, making investment in resource efficiency one of the realistic pathways toward strengthening water and environmental sustainability in Jordan.
Source: Al Ghad
