Technology brief
What this platform addresses
Low-Carbon Water is a regulatory metric defining the carbon intensity of produced water (kg CO₂/m³).
Ready for deployment
Water Production
ARBOK Low-Carbon Water (Low-Carbon Water Threshold: Why Reverse Osmosis Is Finished)
Low-Carbon Water is a regulatory metric defining the carbon intensity of produced water (kg CO₂/m³).
The challenge
The problem this technology addresses
ARBOK produces drinking water, pharmaceutical injection water, ultrapure electronics water, and power-plant generator water — all at 0.7–1 kWh/m³, same system, same footprint. It also processes RO brines, industrial concentrates, and Dead Sea salinity up to 35.5%, delivering Zero Brine Discharge.
ARBOK solution
How the ARBOK system creates value
Low-Carbon Water is a regulatory metric defining the carbon intensity of produced water (kg CO₂/m³). The EU threshold is set at 0.5 kg CO₂ per m³. This technology card evaluates Reverse Osmosis (RO) and ARBOK technology under this metric using energy demand, recovery factor, consumables, brine handling, and lifecycle carbon accounting. The conclusion is binary: RO is structurally incapable of meeting the threshold; ARBOK remains below it permanently.
Low-Carbon Water is not a quality or mineralization parameter. It is the carbon intensity of the entire water production chain, including intake, treatment, transport, waste handling, consumables, and amortized CAPEX.
Carbon intensity formula: CI(water) = (E_proc + E_intake + E_distr + E_waste) × EF(el), plus CI(diesel/gen), CI(chemicals + membranes), CI(brine/discharge), and CI(capex/amortization). Threshold (EU ETS / CBAM): 0.5 kg CO₂/m³.
ARBOK operates under deep vacuum (~–1 bar) instead of the high-pressure membrane separation used by RO (up to 150 bar). Recovery is 100%: 100 m³ in → 100 m³ out, with zero brine. No membranes, chemicals, inhibitors, or washes are used. RO by contrast recovers only 30–50% of feedwater — from 100 m³ seawater it yields 30–50 m³ of product and discharges 50–70 m³ as brine, so delivering 100 m³ of product requires 200–333 m³ of intake (effective recovery multiplier R = 2.0–3.3, base 2.5).
Market and application
Commercial opportunity
Market reference prices: ultrapure water ~$1/m³; pharmaceutical $2–5/m³; RO potable $0.8–2.3/m³; power plants $1.5–3/m³. ARBOK delivers equivalent or higher quality below all of them. Regulatory driver: EU ETS / CBAM low-carbon water threshold of 0.5 kg CO₂/m³, which RO cannot meet.
Cost model at energy price $0.25/kWh.
RO: energy 22.8 × 0.25 = $5.70/m³; chemicals and membranes ≈ $0.20/m³; brine penalties and compliance ≈ $1.50/m³; total $7.4–7.9/m³.
ARBOK: energy 0.72 × 0.25 = $0.18/m³; consumables $0; penalties $0.
Cost ratio: approximately 40× cheaper.
Use cases
Where the technology can be applied
ARBOK produces drinking water, pharmaceutical injection water, ultrapure electronics water, and power-plant generator water — all at 0.7–1 kWh/m³, same system, same footprint. It also processes RO brines, industrial concentrates, and Dead Sea salinity up to 35.5%, delivering Zero Brine Discharge.
Ready for deployment. [дополнительные детали развёртывания — требует уточнения из базы]
LONG BATTERY — combination brings ARBOK carbon intensity to zero.
View preserved source description
Overview
Low-Carbon Water is a regulatory metric defining the carbon intensity of produced water (kg CO₂/m³). The EU threshold is set at 0.5 kg CO₂ per m³. This technology card evaluates Reverse Osmosis (RO) and ARBOK technology under this metric using energy demand, recovery factor, consumables, brine handling, and lifecycle carbon accounting. The conclusion is binary: RO is structurally incapable of meeting the threshold; ARBOK remains below it permanently.
Low-Carbon Water is not a quality or mineralization parameter. It is the carbon intensity of the entire water production chain, including intake, treatment, transport, waste handling, consumables, and amortized CAPEX.
Carbon intensity formula: CI(water) = (E_proc + E_intake + E_distr + E_waste) × EF(el), plus CI(diesel/gen), CI(chemicals + membranes), CI(brine/discharge), and CI(capex/amortization). Threshold (EU ETS / CBAM): 0.5 kg CO₂/m³.
Applications
ARBOK produces drinking water, pharmaceutical injection water, ultrapure electronics water, and power-plant generator water — all at 0.7–1 kWh/m³, same system, same footprint. It also processes RO brines, industrial concentrates, and Dead Sea salinity up to 35.5%, delivering Zero Brine Discharge.
Operating Principle
ARBOK operates under deep vacuum (~–1 bar) instead of the high-pressure membrane separation used by RO (up to 150 bar). Recovery is 100%: 100 m³ in → 100 m³ out, with zero brine. No membranes, chemicals, inhibitors, or washes are used. RO by contrast recovers only 30–50% of feedwater — from 100 m³ seawater it yields 30–50 m³ of product and discharges 50–70 m³ as brine, so delivering 100 m³ of product requires 200–333 m³ of intake (effective recovery multiplier R = 2.0–3.3, base 2.5).
Key Parameters
| Parameter | RO | ARBOK |
|---|---|---|
| Energy consumption | 7.5 kWh/m³ feed | 0.72 kWh/m³ product |
| Energy per m³ of product | 7.5 × 1.2 × 2.5 + 0.3 = 22.8 kWh/m³ | 0.72 kWh/m³ |
| Yield / recovery | 30–50% | 100% |
| Brine | 50–70% discharge | None |
| Operating pressure | Up to 150 bar | Deep vacuum (~–1 bar) |
| Consumables | Membranes, chemicals, inhibitors, washes | None |
| CO₂ on coal power (0.90 kg CO₂/kWh) | 20.7 kg CO₂/m³ | 0.65 kg CO₂/m³ |
| CO₂ on gas power (0.45 kg CO₂/kWh) | 10.4 kg CO₂/m³ | 0.32 kg CO₂/m³ |
| CO₂ on renewables (0.05 kg CO₂/kWh) | 1.29 kg CO₂/m³ | 0.036 kg CO₂/m³ |
| Overall CO₂ range | 1.29–20.7 kg CO₂/m³ (avg ≈ 10.8) | 0.036–0.65 kg CO₂/m³ (avg ≈ 0.34) |
| Hidden embedded carbon | +0.12–0.15 kg CO₂/m³ | None |
| Maximum feed salinity | — | Dead Sea salinity up to 35.5% at 0.72 kWh/m³ |
Architecture and Components
[требует уточнения из базы]
Advantages
Structural regulatory compliance: against the ETS/CBAM threshold of 0.5 kg CO₂/m³, RO is always above the threshold and ARBOK is always below it; combined with LongBattery, ARBOK = 0. Zero brine discharge and the ability to process RO brines and industrial concentrates that RO itself cannot handle. No consumables and no hidden embedded carbon — RO carries an unaccounted +0.12–0.15 kg CO₂/m³ from membrane manufacturing, chemical production, cleaning cycles, remineralization, and UV treatment. Universality: one system delivers potable, pharmaceutical, ultrapure electronics, and power-plant water at 0.7–1 kWh/m³. Cost ratio approximately 40× cheaper than RO.
Integrations
LONG BATTERY — combination brings ARBOK carbon intensity to zero.
Deployment & Operation
Ready for deployment. [дополнительные детали развёртывания — требует уточнения из базы]
TRL
Ready for deployment. [числовой уровень TRL — требует уточнения из базы]
Market Potential
Market reference prices: ultrapure water ~$1/m³; pharmaceutical $2–5/m³; RO potable $0.8–2.3/m³; power plants $1.5–3/m³. ARBOK delivers equivalent or higher quality below all of them. Regulatory driver: EU ETS / CBAM low-carbon water threshold of 0.5 kg CO₂/m³, which RO cannot meet.
Typical Project Economics
Cost model at energy price $0.25/kWh.
RO: energy 22.8 × 0.25 = $5.70/m³; chemicals and membranes ≈ $0.20/m³; brine penalties and compliance ≈ $1.50/m³; total $7.4–7.9/m³.
ARBOK: energy 0.72 × 0.25 = $0.18/m³; consumables $0; penalties $0.
Cost ratio: approximately 40× cheaper.
Risk Factors
[требует уточнения из базы]
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LONG BATTERY
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Partnership pathway