SUNfarming Food & Energy Research & Training Centre Gros Cailloux, Mauritius.


Summary:

  • Solar Power: 200 kWp
  • Agricultural Area 5000 m²
  • German Agrisolar Technology
  • Annual Energy Production: 370 MWh
  • CO₂ Emissions Avoided: 180 tonnes per year

Jurate


SUNfarming Africa’s project has been selected for the National Scheme for Emerging/Innovative Renewable Energy Technologies (NSEIRET) by the MARENA, Mauritius Renewable Energy Authority, to implement an agrivoltaic “Food & Energy Research and Training Centre” with an allocated capacity of 200 kWp over an area of 5000 m² at Gros Cailloux.

An agrivoltaic project, which SUNfarming calls “Food & Energy”, combines high quality photovoltaic electricity generation and food production facilities (bio-horticulture and vegetable production by drip irrigation). SUNfarming has designed special Food & Energy systems, made in Germany, that enable the cultivation of plants underneath solar panels, which will be installed at Gros Cailloux. This unique plant will be used as a research and training platform in cooperation with local partners in the field of modern agriculture and solar renewable energy.

SUNfarming Food & Energy Research & Training Centre

The plant is planned to be completed by March 2023 after which it will start injecting energy into the CEB medium voltage network. The SUNfarming Group is based in Germany and has installed more than 650 MWp of solar projects worldwide over 1000 hectares. SUNfarming Africa, the subsidiary of the SUNfarming Group in Mauritius, is aiming to develop unique solar projects in the Indian Ocean, notably in Mauritius and Madagascar. SUNfarming is the only company in the world developing agrivoltaic systems on such a large scale.

This scheme was set up by the Mauritius Renewable Energy Authority (MARENA), under the aegis of the Ministry of Energy and Public Utilities (MEPU), in collaboration with Mauritius Research and Innovation Council (MRIC) and the Central Electricity Board (CEB) to foster innovation in the field of renewable energy.

All SUNfarming plants are managed and maintained by local labour that has been trained thoroughly by SUNfarming experts. In Mauritius, we would like to encourage local public and parastatal institutions like the FAREI, the MARENA and the MITD to conduct trainings on the site in the fields of modern food production and solar energy.

The RES Project Mauritius is supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action as part of the Renewable Energy Solutions Programme of the German Energy Solutions Initiative.


German Energy Agency (dena)

The German Energy Agency (dena) is a centre of excellence for the applied energy transition and climate protection. dena studies the challenges of building a climate-neutral society and supports the German government in achieving its energy and climate policy objectives. Since its founding in 2000, dena has worked to develop and implement solutions and bring together national and international partners from politics, industry, the scientific community and all parts of society. dena is a project enterprise and a public company owned by the German federal government. dena’s shareholders are the Federal Republic of Germany and the KfW Group.
www.dena.de/en

 

German Energy Solutions Initiative

With the aim of positioning German technologies and know-how worldwide, the German Energy Solutions Initiative of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK) supports suppliers of climate-friendly energy solutions in opening up foreign markets. The focus lies on renewable energies, energy efficiency, smart grids and storage, as well as technologies such as power-to-gas and fuel cells. Aimed in particular at small and medium-sized enterprises, the German Energy Solutions Initiative supports participants through measures to prepare market entry as well as to prospect, develop and secure new markets.
www.german-energy-solutions.de/en

 

Renewable Energy Solutions Programme (RES Programme)

With the RES programme, the Energy Export Initiative of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK) helps German companies in the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors enter new markets. Within the framework of the programme, reference plants are installed and marketed with the support of the German Energy Agency (dena). Information and training activities help ensure a sustainable market entry and demonstrate the quality of climate-friendly technologies made in Germany.
www.german-energy-solutions.de

Projekt Partner

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local partners




supported by

BMWi Mittelstand Global

bundesministerium-fuer-wirtschaft-und-ernergie

implemented by

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