Towards addressing water scarcity.

Jordan is among the most water-scarce countries in the world, with population growth, overuse of water and the impacts of climate change reducing resources

Dried mud cracks in Azraq, Jordan

ABB has been selected by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the Water Authority of Jordan to provide its ABB Genix™ Industrial IoT and AI Suite for water and energy data management to help address the nation’s water management challenges by improving energy efficiency across the sector. Jordan is currently ranked as the 15th most water scarce country in the world.

As part of the project, ABB will also deliver comprehensive training and support to its in-country partner, Volt Automation LLC, to ensure effective implementation of Genix. The solution is designed to optimize operations and improve sustainability across water utilities using integrated, contextualized real-time data from multiple assets that enables operational efficiencies and cost savings.

Within the water sector, Genix can be used to monitor and analyze energy consumption in a range of settings, including pumping stations, treatment plants and distribution networks, enabling operators to make data-informed decisions to improve water resource management, achieve higher energy efficiency and provide consistent service delivery.

“We believe that digital technology is key to making better-informed decisions, sooner,” said Wissam Assaf, Head of Global Partner Business at ABB’s Energy Industries and Process Industries divisions. “By leveraging digital innovation and energy-efficient solutions, we can help Jordan build a more sustainable and resilient water sector. Through our collaboration with local partners, we aim to empower communities, optimize resource use and contribute to a better future for all.”

Jordan is among the most water-scarce countries in the world, with only 61 m³ per capita a year of renewable water resources. A growing population, agricultural expansion and the impacts of climate change are increasing the pressure on Jordan’s water supplies[. The country remains committed to progressing its National Climate Change Policy 2022-2050, which includes action for supporting water supply, conservation and related infrastructure development.

“We are proud to work closely with ABB on this scope of work, demonstrating how digital innovation and partnership drives both economic and environmental progress,” said Sinan Hiasat, General Manager at Volt Automation. “We look forward to delivering tangible results for the water sector in Jordan, leveraging the capabilities of Genix to monitor, report and reduce energy consumption, establish water balance visibility, and enable better decision making on critical initiatives.”

In September 2025, ABB was recognized as a Leader in the 2025 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Global Industrial IoT Platforms. ABB views the recognition as a reflection of the company’s continued commitment to delivering innovative industrial AI and IoT solutions that empower industries to operate leaner and cleaner.

With offices in Jordan, Qatar and Sudan, Volt Automation delivers specialized industrial automation, instrumentation and electrical services in the region.

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Potash at Dead and Red Seas!

ABB's System 800xA will help improve process efficiency and boost production capacity for Arab Potash Company in Jordan

ABB process automation systems are helping Arab Potash Company expand its extensive potash production and port facilities at the Dead and Red Seas in Jordan to become one of the most productive and efficient in the world.

The upgrades are based on their flagship automation platform, Extended Automation System 800xA, and are part of a comprehensive modernization and expansion project at Arab Potash Company’s (APC) extensive potash processing and warehousing facilities in Jordan.

Dead Sea salt ponds

APC is one of the world’s major suppliers of potash, a vital plant and crop nutrient used in agricultural fertilizer all over the world. The company’s vast salt ponds extend over 112 sq.km at the southern end of the Dead Sea, and its potash refinery at Safi on the banks of this hypersaline mineral-rich lake is capable of producing 2,500,000 tons.

Processing potash from saltwater is a long and complex process that takes around 12 months to complete. The highly saline water in the APC salt ponds is slowly evaporated by the heat of the sun to produce a mineral-rich slurry called carnallite, which is then processed into potash at the Safi refinery.

APC recently completed a large modernization and expansion project at Safi to enhance the efficiency of the refining process and boost capacity by 25 percent from 2 million tons to 2.5 million tons a year. The existing hot leach and cold crystallization plants were upgraded and a second cold crystallization plant was built.

The three plants are the heart of the refinery. There, the carnallite is dewatered, crystallized, leached, dried, and screened into three grades of potash. Each stage of the refining process at the new plant is controlled and optimized by a state-of-the-art System 800xA distributed control system that monitors and manages process information from 3,500 input/output channels.

The project at Safi follows the recent modernization and expansion of APC’s warehousing facilities at Aqaba by the Red Sea, where the potash is stored, ready for loading onto bulk carriers for shipment to markets all over the world.

ABB provided an electrical, control and instrumentation package to help boost capacity at Aqaba and make the storage and loading process faster and more efficient. The long conveyor system, three stackers and two reclaimers are now controlled by a System 800xA distributed control system that helps deliver a loaded product of consistent quality..

As a result of the two System 800xA automation systems at Safi and Aqaba and the ongoing modernization of existing facilities APC will have a leading-edge process automation system that integrates all automation functions at the sites into a single engineering and operations environment that enables all facilities to operate more efficiently and with considerable cost savings.