News

As in previous years, SUNfarming donates to Christmas for a non-profit organization. Through our Food & Energy project in Madagascar, we were made aware of the children's aid project "Clair de Lune" by our local partners. 70 orphans or children from penniless families from 1 to 6 years of age are looked after by 3 employees every day and receive one hot meal a day - sometimes the only meal. SUNfarming will support this project in 2020 with a regular, monthly donation. For this year's Christmas on December 18, the SUNfarmer and their families spontaneously collected and with the amount transferred, Christmas became a festival of joy for these children too.

In this spirit, we wish you and your families a merry Christmas and a happy holiday season. Health, happiness and much success for the New Year - combined with our heartfelt thanks for your trust!

With festive greetings
Your SUNfarming Team

Mr. Benito A. Ferreiras Rector of ISA was the first speaker to highlight the benefits of the SUNfarming Food & Energy Training Center for the Dominican Republic. Mr. Peter Schrum, founder and main shareholder of the SUNfarming Group, presented the Food & Energy Concept. The German Ambassador Dr. Volker Pellet emphasized how advantageous the technology transfer operated by SUNfarming is for the Dominican Republic. The Ambassador of the Dominican Republic in Germany, Ms. Maibé Sánchez Caminero, confirmed the advantages of the cooperation between the Dominican Republic and Germany using the example of this project.

The numerous guests included many high-ranking employees from the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Environment and Agriculture, the CNE (National Energy Commission), the CDEEE (Dominican State Holding of Energy Companies) and also the Director of GIZ in the Dominican Republic, Mr. Clemens Findeisen, was among the guests.

“It was a successful event with an interested specialist audience, who followed the lectures with great interest. It is not an exaggeration to say, that the Food & Energy concept among all those present, is classified as a very positive contribution to the development of the Dominican Republic. Afterwards there was a conversation with the Vice President CDEEE Lic. Rubén Jiménez Bichara, ”explains Holger Schönherr SUNfarming project manager.

(photo f.l.t.r: Peter Schrum, SUNfarming Founder and Main Shareholder, Lic. Rubén Jiménez Bichara, Vicepresident CDEEE, Ambassador Dr. Volker Pellet, Clemens Findeisen, GIZ)

The two individual transactions are an extension of an existing line and an interim financing for the acquisition and installation of a dedicated portfolio, which has been implemented with a new partner.

EUR 12 million will be used to finance the construction of 17 MWp of new photovoltaic projects in Poland, which have already been awarded a contract from the 2018 auction and are to be built and connected to the grid by April 2020. An existing funding line was increased from EUR 20 million to EUR 25 million. This now revolving credit line is available to the SUNfarming Group for approx. 3 years and is an essential building block for the realization of new projects and thus for further growth in Poland.

"With the conclusion of these two new facilities, we want to continue our growth after a successful year in 2018 and significantly increase our Polish portfolio to at least 150 MWp over the next two years", says Martin Tauschke, Managing Director and co-shareholder of the SUNfarming Group.

The Polish government recently extended the completion deadline for projects from the 2018 auction to November 2020, which has increased the likelihood of realization of many projects. In addition, a further PV auction will take place in December 2019 with a tender volume of 750 MW of solar capacity. According to current statistics, about 1 GWp is installed in the Polish market, of which about 500 MW are outdoor projects in the auction.

With 46 MW of projects already installed and after completion of projects under construction, SUNfarming has a market share of nearly 10% of realized auction projects in Poland.

The statement at Eurosolar states: SUNfarming GmbH, nominated by our head office in Germany, was selected from a wide range of applications and nominations. Our jury chose SUNfarming for its holistic approach to combine the production of renewable energy and food.

Eurosolar annually honors role models and pioneers in the field of renewable energies. The prize, which has been awarded since 1994, is intended to honor the energy and inventiveness of local and regional players and to give new impulses for a regenerative and decentralized energy transition in Europe.

The award ceremony of the European Solar Prize 2019 took place on the 15th of November on the Belval Campus in Luxembourg. The Solar Prize will be awarded to cities, municipalities, architects, municipal and private companies, associations, organizations and cooperatives, journalists and citizens actively promoting renewable energies through their projects and initiatives. EUROSOLAR honors eight pioneering projects from six different countries.

Luxembourg Energy Minister Claude Turmes also attended the awards ceremony, as did Prof. Susanne Siebentritt from the University of Luxembourg, who presented the energy transition in Luxembourg in another segment.

In his welcome speech, Henri Kox, former Chairman of EUROSOLAR Luxembourg and newly appointed Luxembourg Housing Minister, said: "The energy transition is a huge challenge for our society. It can only be achieved if we pool our efforts and ideas, learn from each other and work together for change. Only in this way can we shape a sustainable future. I cordially invite you to seek inspiration from our Renewable Energy Pioneers."

Prof. Peter Droege, President of EUROSOLAR e.V., also underlined the importance of civic engagement for the energy revolution: "I am glad that today we have been able to honor people who are working on solutions for a local and regional energy transition. Whether church, industry or youth movement: all award winners have innovations in common that are practical and sustainable. They serve as trendsetting examples of renewable energies in Europe."

SUNfarming for a One world cooperation:
Combining the production of green electricity and food for and with local communities. Decentralisation and an unlimited supply are distinguishing features of renewables energies. The very nature of how renewables are produced predestines them to secure the energy demand in emerging economies, to strengthen local communities and to increase peoples’ independence from global markets and international fossil giants. The project developer and operator of photovoltaic plants SUNfarming shares our common goal towards 100% decentralized, renewable energies for all. It is cooperating with people in emerging economies to produce food and energy simultaneously and in a sustainable way. The SUNfarming programs consist of Food & Energy greenhouses and photovoltaic agriculture plants as well as educational Solar Training Centres, all of which are specifically designed for rural development.They combine training on food and green energy production and as a result create jobs and spread renewables. SUNfarming is cooperating with local educational institutions to offer not only their technology and expertise, but also sustainable education and a longlasting economic contribution. The SUNfarming Solar Training Centres in Peru, South Africa and Syria have already trained several hundred people in electrical engineering. Recently, SUNfarming has met the Albanian government for talks over opening a Solar Training Centre there. Renewable Energies have the potential to fight poverty, promote peace and create flourishing societies everywhere. With their Food & Energy programs, SUNfarming is cooperating successfully with local communities and takes part in creating sustainable economies worldwide.

More than 200 guests from politics and business, from universities and guests from Cevdetiye participated in the solemn ceremony. Among them were the mayor of Çevdetiye, Mr. Kadir Kaya and the mayor of Kadirli, Mr. Ömer Tarhan, the president of the Osmaniye Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Devrim Aksoy, Provincial Director of T.R. Osmaniye Provincial Directorate of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, Mr. İbrahim Sağlam, rector of Osmaniye Korkut Ata University, Prof. Dr. Murat Türk, DOĞAKA Eastern Mediterranean Development Agency / General Coordinator, Mr. Erdinç Kadıoğlu.
The German Embassy in Ankara hosted Mr. Friedo Sielemann, Head of the Economic Department, as well as the Agency for Economic and Development from Berlin. Mr. Ian Lachmund, Senior Advisor and from Cologne DEG Bank Mr. David Arndt.
Guest of honor was Prince Lorenzo Kouami Folly Kuegah, Prince of Togo. 30 MWp Food & Energy Training Center are currently being developed in Togo, and a MoU has already been signed.

In their speeches, the German representatives of the German Embassy and DEG pointed out how important the developmental know-how transfer of German technologies is by means of training investments for German development aid. The Food & Energy Training Center in Turkey was realized with the help of KfW / DEG as Private Partnership Project.

Peter Schrum, founder of the SUNfarming Group and main shareholder, explains: "The focus of the German-Turkish training project is the training of Syrian refugees and Turkish residents with the help of local university teachers and our local training partners. The aim of the project is training as entrepreneurs in the organic food sector and as a photovoltaic technician for renewable energies. In the future, this Food & Energy Training project will serve as a Blue Print for further development investments in Turkey and Syria. The project also helps Syria and Turkey."

SUNfarming represents numerous German technology companies in the Food & Energy Centers with their innovative products and combines them with local technology. The number of trained people with an emphasis on entrepreneurship education through franchising and cooperatives is particularly high in this concept.

Many basic conditions had to be created, such as a well had to be drilled for the water supply of the plant. In order to carry out the training optimally, SUNfarming has also set up a training center with classroom and training equipment, directly behind the refugee camp. For this purpose, a shop was specially built so the produced eggs and vegetables can be sold together with items of daily needs.

25,000 m2 Food & Energy Training Center mean every year:
• approx. 250 training places in organic food cultivation and solar technology, 4 courses p.a.
• up to 125 tons of organic vegetables in training
• chicken breeding and egg production
• clean, renewable energy
• CO2 savings

Next week, SUNfarming will hold concrete project discussions with representatives of Togo, Burkina Faso, Senegal and other African countries at the G20 summit compact with 30 MWp Food & Energy facilities with a potential of 30,000 jobs in each country. In West Africa alone, the training facilities have a potential of more than 100,000 new jobs over the next 10 years. These new, skilled jobs in organic food production including chickens and egg production, processing and marketing, as well as in the fields of solar technology and electric mobility are made possible.
100 MWp SUNfarming Food & Energy plants have the nutritional potential for more than 700,000 people in Togo, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Ghana.

As part of the G20 initiative Compact with Africa (CwA), for the second time Chancellor Angela Merkel invited the twelve heads of state and government of the African Compact partner countries as well as South Africa to Berlin as G20 partner of the initiative for November 19, 2019.

On this occasion, the Africa Association of German Business, together with the Sub-Saharan Africa Initiative of German Business (SAFRI), organizes the "G20 Investment Summit 2019 - German Business and the CwA Countries" in Berlin. The investor conference is under the patronage of Chancellor Dr. Ing. Angela Merkel. The Chancellor will take part in the conference together with her guests and open it up solemnly.

The conference is aimed at high-ranking representatives of German companies and their partners from the African CwA partner countries. The focus is on lighthouse projects of German companies and economic reform projects in the CwA countries.

The event will feature companies with Africa commitments - and those with investment projects in CwA countries (Egypt, Ethiopia, Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal, Togo, Tunisia), but also with projects in other countries - the opportunity to position oneself in a high-level political environment with strong media support and to make current activities visible.

"We are pleased to be presenting our Food & Energy Training Project for Togo to such an important audience at the G20 Summit. After nearly 20 years of project experience in Africa, we can say that only in a politically stable country with the help of reliable local partners such as Prince Lorenzo of Togo, European technologies, PPP partnerships with industry and long-term and reliable project management are safe investments guaranteed, "explains Peter Schrum, founder and main shareholder of the SUNfarming Group.

"With the help of KfW / DEG and GIZ, Food & Energy has been further developed over the last 12 years as PP partnership projects, so that it is economically scalable and can now be reliably implemented in Togo at 60ha with 30 MWp of energy output. The project can provide training and a job for up to 30,000 people within just 10 years", continues Peter Schrum.