14.2.

2019 Solar powered

irrigation in Africa
Technology, advantages and current
challenges

Created by Boldyreva Margarita

(h1569124)
 Solar powered irrigation in Africa

Contents

1. Introduction
▪ Connection with the WEF nexus
2. Main part
▪ Current situation with agriculture in Africa
▪ Solar powered irrigation technology
▪ Advantages of solar powered irrigation
▪ Challenges
▪ Example Kenya
▪ Example Ethiopia
3. Conclusion
4. References

Boldyreva Margarita 1569124

 Solar powered irrigation in Africa

Introduction
I have chosen this topic, because during our lectures I have learned about most
important issues for the world and economy development. They are water, food and energy.
These systems are closely interrelated and also have relations with social systems. For a long
time, nature was only a source to provide economical benefit and to generate a welfare for a
humanity. That led to the crucial consequences. People’s behavior has caused climate changes,
deforestation, air pollution. Therefore, providing of sustainable methods for modern economy
development is the main purpose of ecological economy. Moreover, I was surprised by an
amount of water that is necessary to produce one steak or a cup of coffee. The number of
water usage for farming purpose that is mentioned on OECD homepage is 70% of a whole
amount of the world water. That is why I was interested in water policy of regions, where an
amount of available water is constrained. What is more, a situation with this technology is a
perfect example for WEF nexus due to the combination of parts, which are related to each
component of the nexus. A water is used in agriculture to raise a crop, to pump it energy is
indispensable. And consequently, my essay’s topic is a logical continuation of my scientific
poster.

Methodology
• Literature Research
In my essay I used a wealth of reports, case studies, websites and published papers
exists on solar-powered irrigation. A systematic overview was obtained, and the most
important information used is listed in the references.

A current situation with agriculture in Africa

There is no secret that Africa is a developing region. Agriculture is the lifeblood of its
economy. However, the state of technology in this direction is still poor. In most of regions
farmers are still relying on rainfall or using a traditional fuel-powered irrigation. Irrigation is a
key element of agri-food development, but current diesel-powered irrigation pumps are highly
polluting and carbon intensive and are not widely distributed. As numbers say, only 4% of the
continent’s agriculture is under irrigation. Furthermore, high diesel and electricity costs and
often unreliable energy services affect the pumping requirements for irrigation for small and
large farmers. In many rural areas, grid electricity is not, or is only sporadically, available. This

Boldyreva Margarita 1569124

 Solar powered irrigation in Africa

stagnation in development of the main economic center and at the same time growing
population in the most of countries lead to a famine and to the dramatically rising poverty. To
reduce poverty and defend against starvation, African countries must improve their agricultural
production, generate employment and prosperity, and feed a growing population. Using solar
energy for irrigation water pumping is a promising alternative to conventional electricity and
diesel-based pumping systems.

Solar powered irrigation technology

There is no doubt that the sun and a solar power are the most important factors for the
successful implementation of the solar powered irrigation technology. In Fig.1 concentration
and allocation of solar power are depicted. And as we can see, African countries belong to the
number of countries, which are positioned across the equator and have wide scope of
harvesting maximum solar power around 350 w/m2. This enables an efficient productivity of
solar powered irrigation systems.

Figure 1: Global Solar Power available (Twe = Terawatt – 10¹² watt)

Source:
http://blog.jains.com/Jains_Solar_Powered_Micro_Irrigation_System_Promising_Option_for_Agrarians.
htm
“Solar water pumping is based on photovoltaic (PV) technology, which converts solar
energy into electrical energy to run a direct current (DC) or alternating current (AC) motor-
based water pump. The pumps used for the transport of the water are equipped with solar

Boldyreva Margarita 1569124

 Solar powered irrigation in Africa

cells. The solar energy absorbed by the cells is then converted into electrical energy via a
generator which then feeds an electric motor driving the pump.” [1] (Roblin, 2016)
“The major components of a typical solar-powered pumping system include a solar
panel array that powers a bore-well pump or surface pump. The size of the complete system is
dependent on size of the pump, the amount of water required per day and power available
from the solar panels. The water is often pumped from a bore-well or stream into a storage
tank or directly into the field. The solar-powered irrigation system has three main parts: motor
pump, pump controller and solar panel. A typical example of solar-powered irrigation system is
shown in Fig. 2.” [2] (Theo, 2014)

Figure: 2 Schematic Layout of Solar Powered Micro Irrigation System.

Source: https://electronicsforu.com/technology-trends/tech-focus/solar-powered-irrigation-systems

Advantages of solar powered irrigation systems

Solar powered irrigation system can provide significant environmental and socio-
economic benefits, both at farm level and at national level.

At farm level, photovoltaic technology can provide a reliable source of energy for
pumping of irrigation water in isolated areas, especially in areas that are not connected to the
electricity grid or where an access to a diesel, gasoline and maintenance services is not
guaranteed. What is more, solar pumps can help to improve an availability of water. In
countries with economic water scarcity, this can help to buffer the effects of drought and to

Boldyreva Margarita 1569124

 Solar powered irrigation in Africa

overcome water stress during dry seasons, when groundwater is the only available water
source, or when surface water must be conveyed over long distances. Due to improved access
to energy and water, solar powered irrigation system can stabilize, increase and diversify
production. Surplus of a crop can be sold on markets and generate an additional income. The
increased availability of food can improve food security and nutritional intake, especially for
small-scale farmers and their communities. The last but not least benefit from “future pump” is
a potential time saving because of replacement of labor-intensive manual irrigation, which can
be used for other income-generating activities. Farmers might profit from time not spent on
watering anymore.

At national level, reducing dependency on energy exports is important and prospects for
rural development are enhanced through improved access to water and energy. Energy
subsidies for fossil fuels can be reduced while offering an alternative to farmers and rural
communities whose livelihoods would otherwise be negatively affected. Overall, alternative
irrigation systems can play an important role in climate change mitigation, reducing greenhouse
gas emissions in irrigated agriculture by replacing fossil fuels for power generation with a
renewable energy source. Also, a development of the sustainable renewable energy technology
raises the possibility for a potential for job creation in this sector (producers, suppliers,
services). Groundwater over-abstraction remains a critical issue that requires water accounting,
smart water management and visionary policies across sectors.

As I mentioned above, the main advantage of solar irrigation from environmental side is
a climate mitigation by reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

Challenges of solar water pumping

Despite of all positive effects, which solar technology brings with it, there are some
challenges, which farmers and countries are facing during planning and implementation of it.
First and the most important disadvantage of SPIS (solar powered irrigation system) is its
relatively high initial investment cost. This problem is closely related to necessity of innovative
financing models (or subsidies) to overcome this barrier to adoption, especially for small-scale
farmers. Moreover, some technical knowledge or service infrastructure is needed to ensure the
correct operation of systems and qualified maintenance. Furthermore, SPIS – if there is not an
adequate ground water management and government regulations –bear the risk of fostering
unsustainable water use as low energy costs can lead to wasteful water use, over-abstraction of
groundwater, and low field application.
Boldyreva Margarita 1569124
 Solar powered irrigation in Africa

Figure 3 Short summary of the potentials and the challenges of solar water pumping

Source: http://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/water/brief/solar-pumping

Examples of countries, which are starting to implement solar irrigation systems

• Kenya

“Kenya has a total surface of around 580 000 km². In 2013, it had a population of nearly
44.35 million people, with almost 30 million people considered part of the agricultural
population. There were 224 economically active rural persons per km² of arable land.
Agriculture is a key sector in Kenya’s economy and it is one of the main sectors supporting the
economic pillar in Kenya’s Vision 2030, with a sector annual growth projection of 5 to 6
percent. The sector is expected to rise to 5.1 percent in 2015 from an estimated 4.5 in 2014.
Agriculture currently accounts for 24 percent of GDP and 65 percent of total export earnings.
Agricultural land covers about 33 percent of the country. The agricultural sector provides
livelihoods to 75 percent of the country’s workforce. About 80 percent of employed people
living in rural areas work in this sector.” (Mendes, Paglietti., 2015) [3]

A key element to improve agricultural production is irrigation. However, only 4% of

irrigable land is currently under irrigation. To advance productivity and wealth generation in the
agricultural sector, irrigation will need to expand to cover the full potential of irrigable land, a
trend already well underway. That is why many companies have developed a new models of
solar powered irrigation systems to enable smallholder farmers in Kenya to adopt sustainable

Boldyreva Margarita 1569124

 Solar powered irrigation in Africa

irrigation solutions with a proprietary solar powered irrigation pump, combined with a finance
program that allows for flexible payments. This movement is rising now speedily. Many farmers
have dully appreciated this alternative method. However, it will take time to make this
technology widespread. Moreover, financial support and subsidies from government to small-
scale farms are required.

• Ethiopia

Agriculture accounted for 46.3% of GDP, 83.9% of exports, and 80% of the labor force in
2006 and 2007, compared to 44.9%, 76.9% and 80% in 2002/2003, and agriculture remains the
Ethiopian economy's most important sector. The Ethiopian Government set up the Growth and
Transformation Plan (GTP) to reach certain goals between 2011 and 2015. Primarily, growth in
the market should reach 8.1 percent per year during this time frame. This includes: bolstering
smallholder farmers’ productivity, enhancing marketing systems, upgrading participation of
private sector, increasing volume of irrigated land and curtailing number of households with
inadequate food. In addition, it is hoped that the number of key crops is doubled from 18.1m
metric to 39.5m metric tons. These programs should also result in Ethiopia getting to middle
income status by 2025. [4]

Ethiopia has great agricultural potential because of its vast areas of fertile land, diverse
climate, generally adequate rainfall, and large labor pool. The Ethiopian government is
committed to developing solar and other renewable energy resources, as enshrined in a range
of policies, laws and regulations. The national government recently offered incentives for
engaging in the solar pump sector, including access to finance, and duty and tax exemptions. In
Ethiopia solar powered technology is also not widespread. However, with governmental
support and willingness of farmers the implementation of this technology will boost. For the
next 5 years the government assumes between 105,000 and 200,000 potential solar irrigation
pump customers. (International water management institute, 2018) [5]

Conclusion

In my essay I wanted to give a briefly description about solar pumps, their advantages and to
explain my opinion why this technology is sustainable and progressive for regions of Africa.
These regions are poorly developed and are facing horrible problems, such as massive starving
and poverty. Their main occupation is agriculture and about 80 % of citizens are engaged in it.
This is also their main source of living. And in this technology, I see a way for them to improve

Boldyreva Margarita 1569124

 Solar powered irrigation in Africa

their life quality, because as I mentioned above solar powered irrigation possesses a vast range
of advantages. There is not a doubt that solar pumps implementors have some challenges, the
main is a financial reason. Nonetheless, with a wide support governments and international
organizations this project has a great future as well as population of these African countries.

References:

[1] S. Roblin (2016) “Solar-powered irrigation: A solution to water management in agriculture?”

Online Journal „ Renewable energy focus”:
http://www.renewableenergyfocus.com/view/44586/solar-powered-irrigation-a-solution-to-
water-management-in-agriculture/

[2] S. Theo (2014) “Solar-Powered Irrigation Systems”

Online Journal „Electronics for you”: https://electronicsforu.com/technology-trends/tech-

focus/solar-powered-irrigation-systems

[3] D. M. Mendes L. Paglietti (2015) „Kenya Irrigation market brief“, FAO

http://www.fao.org/3/a-i5074e.pdf

[4] National growth and transformation plan (2014)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140111222818/http://www.ata.gov.et/priorities/national-
growth-transformation-plan/

[5] International water management institute (2018) Technical brief “Business models for solar-
powered irrigation in Ethiopia”
file:///C:/Users/lovel/Downloads/Business%20models%20for%20solar-
powered%20irrigation%20in%20Ethiopia.pdf

Boldyreva Margarita 1569124