Case

BlueZone Ltd. And Grundfos provide sustainable solutions for Macadamia production at Sinde Farm

 80ha of Macadamia farm earning back expenditure in 14 months with Grundfos solar solutions

The Background

 

Grundfos continues to provide sustainable pumping solutions that are less harmful on the environment. As the supply of sustainable energy continues to be a challenge for African countries, it is truly rewarding for Grundfos to be part of projects that find innovative and greenways of maintaining water supply.

Around 70 years ago, these spheres of crunchy white goodness made their way from Australia where the commercialisation of Macadamia Nuts started. In the international market, they are amongst the highest priced nuts and have now found a new crop home in Malawi.

 

Amongst the rolling hills of intense green tea fields in Malawi, estate owners started planting macadamia orchards around 50 years ago. Today, these orchards drop as many as 8 000 metric tonnes of nuts in shells. The Sinde Farm, located in eastern Malawi, is just one of these farms and uses water for 80ha of Macadamia trees in its orchards.

 

The Solution

Before the project was initiated the farm had no utility power supply available. The customer wanted to ensure efficient water transfer without the presence of power while reducing the costs involved in using generators. The generators used were diesel operated and limited irrigation on the farm, without providing a sustainable and long-term solution to water and irrigation accessibility.

Grundfos Approved Distributor Bluezone Malawi provided the soul of the system, a full off-grid system which included an SP125-3 + RSI 37Kw, 37Kw SINE Wavefilter and a total of 198 SW260w solar panels.

 

The Outcome

Through a collaborative effort with a variety of distributors, the customer was pleased with the efficient water supply for irrigation. A cost savings implication was
also felt by the customer, with the cost of the Grundfos solar-powered pump
solutions earning back expenditure in 14 months, compared to a diesel driven
energy supply, providing a sustainable and affordable long-term.