Grid integration guideline fails to make a success of solar irrigation

The government's guideline for purchasing electricity from solar irrigation pumps failed to draw adequate response from stakeholders thus the government is now thinking of forming a high-powered inter-ministerial committee involving concerned ministries and entities in the sector.

According to official sources, the Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (Sreda) published a policy guideline titled: "Grid Integration Guideline for Solar Irrigation Pump" in July 2020.

The main purpose of the guideline was to facilitate solar pump operators to sell their idle electricity to distribution entities and also the distribution entities' purchase of electricity from pump operators under a specific policy.

The idea of purchasing electricity from solar-run irrigation pumps came from the government's success in purchasing power from rooftop solar plants installed in office and industrial buildings, SREDA officials said.

During the off-season, the government will buy electricity from the solar irrigation plant operators. Under the plan, pump operators will be able to sell their idle electricity to the national grid using local distribution grid lines.

But "Grid Integration Guideline for Solar Irrigation Pump" failed to make any significant breakthrough in setting up solar irrigation pumps to replace the diesel-fired pumps.

So far, about 6000 pumps, out of 1.34 million diesel fired pumps, were converted to solar-run pumps, said a SREDA official.

But the stakeholders do not agree with such figures. Dipal C Barua, who is deeply involved in solar irrigation and has been implementing a number of projects in Kustia and Dinajpur districts, said so far about 3000 irrigation pumps were set up across the country.

He, also former president of Bangladesh Solar and Renewable Energy Association (BSREA) said that replacing the diesel-fired pumps with solar-pumps reduced the cost of irrigation by 40-50 percent.

"For a crop season, farmers now spend Tk 2000 for a land while they had to pay Tk 4000 for irrigation by diesel-fired pumps," he told UNB.

But such a project is individually not attractive for a single farmer and also for distribution companies to buy idle power, he observed with his experience of installing about 30 irrigation pumps in Pabna.

There must be a unique business model to make the solar irrigation initiative where it will be lucrative for both pump operators, formers and utilities, he said.

Expressing a similar opinion, a senior SREDA official said the Power Division is now thinking of forming an inter-ministerial committee to evolve a business model to make the solar irrigation project successful.

Recently, the SREDA organized a meeting to discuss the overall situation of the solar irrigation pumps.

In the meeting Prime Minister's Energy Advisor Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury directed the officials in the power sector to set a target under a specific plan to convert the country's diesel-fired irrigation pumps into solar-run ones.

"You have to set a goal under a plan to increase the number of solar-run pumps in irrigation," he told SREDA officials.

He also advised the farmers not to use excessive water than required for the irrigation.

State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid also addressed the event at the SREDA office.

The energy advisor said that a committee will be formed after Eid from the Prime Minister's office so that an effective role can be played in reaching the desired goal in the renewable energy sector.

Emphasizing the mobilization of the climate fund, he said there should be an initiative to collect promised amounts of money from the Loss & Damage Fund announced in Cop-28.

Nasrul Hamid said there should be united efforts for promotion of solar irrigation pumps. Reducing the use of diesel pumps will also reduce carbon emissions.

Each diesel pump consumes 1023.34 liters of diesel per year," he said, adding, the government has to import huge quantities of diesel which is a waste of foreign exchange and also harmful to the environment.