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Accessible, reliable and affordable solar irrigation for Europe and beyond

Project description

DEENESFRITPL

Facilitating market uptake of solar irrigation in Europe and beyond

The current fossil fuel-based energy used for crop irrigation has high environmental and financial costs. In contrast, solar irrigation (SI) can provide zero-emission energy for irrigation at a substantially lower cost. However, the market uptake of SI is hindered by various non-technological barriers as well as a lack of awareness and skills. The EU-funded SolAqua project aims to overcome these issues and facilitate the market uptake of SI. It will therefore develop key enabling materials and tools, such as quality standards and economic and environmental assessment methodologies. It will also carry out an extensive dissemination and communication plan to attract more than 300 000 stakeholders to SI. This work will play a role in increasing the share of renewable energy both in Europe and abroad.

Objective

SolAqua will increase the share of renewable energy in Europe by facilitating market uptake of solar irrigation (SI). By combining photovoltaic and hydraulic technology with high efficiency irrigation, SI can provide energy for irrigation with 0 emissions and at a cost of up to 70% lower than existing fossil-fuel based solutions. The potential of SI to change the energy model of European farming is huge as irrigation demands large amounts of energy for pumping water to crops. Alongside a €4 bn energy bill, the current fossil-fuel based energy model of irrigation also has a high environmental cost; it produces 16 million tons of CO2 every year, approximately 15% of the EU’s total CO2 emissions from agriculture. Nevertheless, despite its potential benefits, market uptake of SI is being prevented by a number of non-technological barriers. Also, there is a lack of awareness and skills regarding SI among irrigators and other stakeholders, such as local SMEs and public authorities. SolAqua is the answer from a coalition of relevant stakeholders to overcome this situation. In a first stage, SolAqua will produce 7 key enabling materials and tools needed for SI market uptake but which are currently missing, such as quality standards and economic and environmental assessment methodologies. In a second stage, SolAqua will carry out a far-reaching dissemination and communication plan in order to attract more than 300,000 stakeholders in Europe and North Africa to SI in general and, in particular, to SolAqua’s exploitation plan. This exploitation plan will allow for the triggering a well-functioning SI market by producing a joint SI promotion of at least 100 MW (more than €120 M in investments) which will act as a flagship for the solution. Also, in order to support SI investments, the public authorities within SolAqua will produce a SI-suited supporting instrument and will allow for its replication throughout Europe.

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Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Call for proposal

H2020-LC-SC3-2018-2019-2020

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Sub call

H2020-LC-SC3-2020-RES-IA-CSA

Funding Scheme

CSA - Coordination and support action

Coordinator

UNIVERSIDAD POLITECNICA DE MADRID
Net EU contribution
€ 538 047,00
Address
CALLE RAMIRO DE MAEZTU 7 EDIFICIO RECTORADO
28040 Madrid
Spain

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Region
Comunidad de Madrid Comunidad de Madrid Madrid
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost
€ 538 047,50

Participants (10)

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Last update: 15 March 2024

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Permalink: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/952879

European Union, 2024