<p>Energy security, climate change and water scarcity are inextricably linked challenges that require integrated solutions for sustainable development. A promising approach combining carbon capture and storage (CCS) with enhanced water recovery (EWR), termed CCS–EWR, provides a technically and economically viable solution to the energy–carbon–water dilemma. By developing a high-resolution source–sink matching model for coal-fired power plants in China, we found that retrofitting plants with a total capacity of 567.4 GW with CCS could store 1.6 GtCO₂ in 2030. Associated water extraction from EWR is expected to increase from 1.7 Gt (1.5–1.9 Gt) in 2030 to 3.3 Gt (2.9–3.7 Gt) in 2060, equivalent to 79.2% (68.1–90.4%) and 154.1% (136.3–172.0%) of the current industrial water shortage in China. Cumulative water extraction reaches 94.6 Gt (83.0–106.3 Gt) during 2025–2060, with a net increase in blue water extraction of 54.6 Gt (33.3–76.0 Gt) after accounting for additional water requirements with CCS. In 2030, there will be 0.48 Gt of blue water extracted in water-scarce regions through CO₂ sequestration from water-abundant regions. With maximum cumulative profits of CCS–EWR expected to be US$370.8 million per year, this approach highlights the transferable framework for assessing energy–carbon–water synergy in regions where energy security, carbon mitigation and water scarcity concerns intersect with geological storage potential.</p>