Kigali, Rwanda, 31 August 2023 – GGGI Rwanda and the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Board (RAB) jointly hosted the “Agrivoltaics in Rwanda – Preparatory Project Launch.” This event convened government officials, international organizations, development agencies, experts, researchers, and representatives from the agriculture and renewable energy sectors. Its purpose was to introduce the “Increased Resilience of Farmers through Agrivoltaics” project, aligning with Rwanda’s vision for a sustainable agricultural sector that promotes sustainability, productivity, water availability, and clean energy access.
The Government of Rwanda aims to modernize agriculture, improve irrigation schemes, and reduce post-harvest losses through sustainable practices. Under the NDCs, prioritized adaptation actions include improving water management, developing sustainable land-use management practices, while mitigation actions include the use of solar water pumping systems for irrigation. With a triple-fold challenge of land, energy, and water, ultimately leading to food insecurity, Agri-photovoltaics offers an innovative technology solution by optimizing land use for both farming and solar energy generation that can improve agricultural productivity, especially in a country like Rwanda, where land is limited, but also in drought-prone areas. The goal is to make agriculture 8 to 15 times more productive by 2035 and 2050.
“This initiative aligns with GGGI’s commitment to a sustainable and circular bioeconomy, especially under the Climate Resilient Agriculture Programmatic Solution,” Liliane Uwanziga Mupende, GGGI’s NAP Project Lead said. “It emphasizes solar irrigation, renewable energy integration in agriculture, resilient cropping, and resource conservation,” Ms. Mupende added.
During the launch event, Dr. Olivier Kamana, Permanent Secretary of Rwanda’s MINIAGRI, highlighted Agrivoltaics’ potential in Rwanda at the intersection of renewable energy and agriculture. Dr. Pietro Elia Campana, a Senior Lecturer and Associate Professor in Energy and Environmental Engineering. He further shared insights from global case studies on Agrivoltaics’ benefits for renewable energy and agriculture. Dr. Richard Randle-Boggis, a Research Associate from the University of Sheffield, UK, discussed the impact of the “harvesting the sun twice” project in East Africa, showcasing how farming and solar energy can coexist sustainably. Mr. Yongseung Gwon of Envelopes Co. presented case studies and preliminary research on Agrivoltaics in Rwanda, emphasizing the need for country-specific data to secure funding for scaling up this approach.
Going forward, GGGI Rwanda, in collaboration with project partners, will explore the feasibility of Agrivoltaics as a green technology in Rwanda. The project will progress through three phases: a preliminary study, a pilot demonstration project, and implementation at scale. These phases aim to increase agricultural productivity, water availability, and access to clean energy by co-locating farming with solar PV, ultimately improving farmers’ incomes and reducing poverty. The project’s main outcomes will include a proof of concept, a pilot demonstration, and the scaling-up phase across multiple countries.
