Solar-powered water pumps are enabling farmers in Senegal to irrigate their crops year round which, in turn, has seen trade pick up. Completed in 2021, the 160MW Taiba N’Diaye wind farm supplies electricity to 1.5 million people in Senegal. It is also helping reduce the cost of electricity generation in Senegal, which has one of the highest generation costs in sub-Saharan Africa. “With the solar pumps that we have provided them for free they can irrigate whenever they want to. Solar irrigation has the potential to transform the farming sector in AfricaA study released last year by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) said that solar irrigation is a game-changer for small-scale farms in sub-Saharan Africa.
