📋 Tender Overview
The CO2-FrAMed project will build approximately 12 stand-alone large-power photovoltaic irrigation systems (PVI) that do not require back-up batteries and significantly reduce risks related to the integrity of the water distribution infrastructure. This solution is a suitable alternative to conventional electric and diesel-based pumping systems. It brings environmental benefits in terms of CO2 emission reduction and economic benefits in terms of lower costs for farmers. Overall, the project will reduce reference emissions by 100% and farmers will benefit from zero-carbon irrigation at a competitive price. Innovation in the technology and in the way to finance it The project’s innovative elements are threefold: a new technology, an advanced monitoring system and an innovative financing model. (1) The PVI technology was developed within Horizon 2020 to solve the intermittency problem of photovoltaic power sources. Intermittency can cause overvoltage and water hammers, which can seriously damage the irrigation infrastructure and dramatically reduce its lifetime. The PVI technology allows for the integration of the hydraulic components, the PV generators, and the frequency converters and it guarantees that the pressure remains always within optimal operational values. Such a solution avoids the need to use expensive backup batteries. (2) The advanced monitoring and automated analysis of key system parameters is a breakthrough in the farming sector, also enabling fault detection, diagnosis and reporting for high performance of the large-power PVI systems. (3) The innovative business model proposed for the project builds on the work of the H2020 ResFarm project, which developed a framework to ease the access of on-farm renewable energy sources to capital market funding. The business model of CO2-FrAMed is based on the commercialization of PV electricity through a pool of power purchase agreements (PPAs) totaling 7.35 MW capacity. The model also enables the reduction of financing costs of the PVI projects, by showing that they qualify as collateral for high-quality financial instruments (green bonds). Multiple technical, environmental and economic benefits for the farmers The project will deploy zero-carbon irrigation systems, avoiding 17 700 tCO2e during the first 10 years of operation, which corresponds to 100% of the reference emission, while also tackling many of the technical, economic, and administrative challenges faced by farmers. The project aims to demonstrate that PVIs are well suited for medium-large irrigation applications. They can replace conventional electric (grid connected or using batteries as back-up) and diesel-based pumping systems and can work as stand-alone installations without the need for batteries or a connection to the grid. Introduction of advanced monitoring and analysis features will ensure optimal performance, minimise operational expenses, and reduce the cost of the electricity paid by the farmers. The project will also
