Dr Lina Abu-Ghunmi

Dr Lina Abu-Ghunmi is an Associate Professor in Environmental Engineering, awarded her Ph.D. in 2009 from Wageningen University in the Netherlands. Since then she has been a researcher at the Water Energy and Environment Centre at the University of Jordan. Lina’s long-term research objective has been developing engineering-based solutions to address current environmental, social, and economic challenges. With a focus on waste management for sustainable development, and in particular resource recovery within a circular economy framework, Lina’s ultimate goal is to translate research outcomes into real-world applications.

Lina’s innovative olive oil extraction processes introduce dry-based, resource-efficient and cost-effective processes that transform conventional production into a full olive-processing industry. Namely, the invention converts the entire olive fruit into three valuable products: extra virgin olive oil, energy-rich dry olive cake and distilled-quality water. In contrast, conventional technologies waste much of the fruit and create environmentally harmful by-products with a large ecological footprint. Dry-based processes eliminate the need for water while maintaining high oil quality, unlike wet-based processes that require large volumes of water and generate wastewater. The new technology also extends olive shelf life while preserving oil quality.