Jordan begins implementing its largest water project to desalinate 300 million cubic meters annually

The Jordanian government announced the start of the National Water Carrier project, the largest water project in the country, costing $5.8 billion, to desalinate 300 million cubic meters of Red Sea water annually and provide 40% of drinking water needs, with funding from 29 donor entities.

The Jordanian government announced at the end of this week the start of the National Water Carrier project next week, one of the largest strategic projects in Jordan, with a total cost estimated at about $5.8 billion. The project aims to desalinate 300 million cubic meters of Red Sea water annually in Aqaba, and transport it through pipelines extending about 450 kilometers, to provide nearly 40% of Jordan's drinking water needs. The project is financed by 29 donor entities and international financing institutions, along with private sector financing institutions, Jordanian commercial banks, and the Social Security Investment Fund. The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation announced last September its approval to provide a loan of up to $1 billion for the project, and political risk insurance of up to $800 million. The project includes building a Red Sea desalination plant, a water conveyance and pumping system to heights of up to 1,100 meters, in addition to solar fields with a capacity of 300 megawatts to cover about 30% of the project's energy needs. Implementation is expected to take about 4 years, with water pumping to begin in the last quarter of 2030, according to previous statements by officials in the Jordanian Ministry of Water and Irrigation. The project aims to raise the annual per capita water share from 60 to 110 cubic meters, and increase the number of water supply days from one day to 3 days per week.