The Aim of this project is to drive forward a large-scale clean energy transition in rural communities in Bangladesh through the design, development and demonstration of smart energy systems which exploit the excess electricity from Solar Irrigation Pumps (SIPs).
Context:
People/Place:
Bangladesh is ranked 7th in the Climate Risk Index
60% of the population (c.100M people) rely on agriculture as their main income source.
Intensification of irrigation practices:
Allows an additional rice crop (55% of total) to be grown during the dry season (Jan-May).
6M irrigation pumps are used including 1.2M tube-wells powered by diesel engines consuming 1MT/yr imported diesel, emitting 3MT of CO2 (c.4% of Bangladesh’s annual gross emission)
Replacement of diesel pumps with SIPs provides a critical route to reliable distributed clean energy.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB), supported by key state organisations, propose a roadmap to deliver 45,000 SIPs replacing 200,000 diesel pumps by 2031.
SIPs are sized to provide sufficient water during peak irrigation demand (100-150 days per year), so only 40 to 60% of the potential electricity generation of the panels is required for irrigation.
The ADB report estimates that the 45,000 replacement SIPs will produce 480GWH/yr of surplus electricity.
The current recommended method for utilisation of excess electricity is export to grid, but this often requires expensive grid extension, connection and metering.
Post-harvest storage/ processing of crops:
Fruit and vegetable production is c.17MT/yr, but post-harvest losses range from 25-40%, whilst farmers obtain a poor price due to surplus supply during peak seasons. Both can be alleviated by the availability of cold storage facilities; however, these are limited in Bangladesh owing to high capex/ energy costs.
Additional processing of cereals, fruit and vegetables can add value and reduce losses (milling, drying, juicing), but require energy.
These factors present a clear opportunity to leverage the excess electricity from SIPs and utilise it locally and smartly to support agriculture and rural communities. The challenge is that techno-economically validated pathways to seize this opportunity are currently not available to potential users (farmers), operators, investors and policymakers.
To meet this challenge our project has the following objectives:
Capture demand and supply requirements around SIP locations and their local communities into a structured knowledge base.
Address key questions surrounding the design, sizing, and smart operation of farm-based microgrids powered by SIP systems.
Tailor system solutions to unique local conditions.
Provide socio-technical, techno-economic and Life Cycle Assessments of proposed solutions.
Build Decision Support Systems and physical field testing and demonstration sites to enable investors/ decision makers to explore the nature and scale of the opportunity and drive strategic innovation, investment, and policy.
Build capacity, capability, and resilience within rural communities by co-creating and co-delivering solutions that ensure equitable access to energy and economic development opportunities.
Ayrton Challenges – Super Efficient Demand/ Smart Delivery/ Smart Energy Systems/ Sustainable Cooling/ Inclusive Energy
Applications/ Benefits:
Results/lessons from this work will also inform solarisation of the >10M diesel irrigation pumps that are currently operated in other Southern Asian countries.
Bangladesh is categorised as a ‘Least Developed Country’. By improving access to local reliable and affordable clean energy this project will promote socio-economic development by enhancing business performance and stimulating growth; and reduce poverty and inequality of farming communities (particularly for women), increasing income and employment opportunities and building capacity and capability.