Jamaica Explores Desalination Projects Amid Water Concerns

Jamaica's Ministry of Water, Environment and Climate Change is investigating the potential for desalination projects in the parishes of St. Thomas and Clarendon. Minister Matthew Samuda indicated that feasibility studies are underway to determine the viability of these initiatives.

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Desalination, if it were done at a national level, would significantly change the average tariff that you pay at the household and commercial level for water.

Desalination, the process of removing salt and minerals from seawater to create freshwater, is not being considered as a solution for the entire country. Samuda explained that implementing it nationwide would significantly increase water tariffs for both household and commercial users. The high cost and potential environmental consequences of large-scale seawater extraction are key concerns.

However, the government remains open to exploring desalination on a limited scale. This approach would target water-stressed areas where it could supplement existing supplies and where the environmental impact of drawing seawater would be minimal. The focus is on finding localized solutions for specific needs.

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We have looked at options for St Thomas and, indeed, for Clarendon. But what needs to be understood in how we have looked at desalination, is that desalination will also have to be accompanied by integrated energy projects.

Crucially, any desalination efforts would need to be integrated with renewable energy projects. Samuda highlighted a proposed system involving pumped hydro storage, utilizing solar-powered infrastructure. Seawater would be extracted, and the process of reverse osmosis would remove salt. Energy generated from releasing water between reservoirs would help offset the costs of desalination. The ministry expects to move from feasibility studies to engineering next year, with procurement potentially starting by 2028.

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We would generate energy by releasing water from that reservoir to a lower reservoir and, in that process, you would extract the salt from the water… [the process is] called reverse osmosis. The energy generated would allow us to afford the extraction.