With Solar-Powered Irrigation, Tanjung Raja Farmers can Harvest Rice Twice a Year

MINISTRY OF ENERGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES

REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA

PRESS RELEASE

NUMBER: 411.Pers/04/SJI/2021

Date: 23 November 2021

With Solar-Powered Irrigation, Tanjung Raja Farmers can Harvest Rice Twice a Year

Farmers in Tanjung Raja Village, Muara Enim Regency in South Sumatra Province are ecstatic. After a solar-powered irrigation pump was installed at their village, they can harvest their rice twice a year.

"Solar-powered irrigation is a direct application of solar rooftop technology that really helps farmers. This technology does not require a large area of land and the investment is minimum. The technology also increases farmers' income many times," said Agung Pribadi, Head of the Bureau of Communication, Public Information Services, and Cooperation of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (EMR), in Jakarta on Tuesday (23/11).

In a similar vein, Head of Farmers Community "Sehati" of Tanjung Raja Village, Hopini, revealed that since the installation of the solar-powered irrigation system with a capacity of 16.5 kilo Watt peak (kWp) in 2020, Tanjung Raja farmers have harvested their rice twice. Previously, they could harvest rice only once a year because they grew their rice in rainfed rice fields. During the dry season, they could not work in their fields.

"In the term used by the Agriculture Service Office, we are IP200 (harvesting twice a year); we'll increase it to IP300. Our target is to harvest five times in two years, if irrigation is smooth and practicable," said Hopaini when meeting with the esdm.go.id team on Thursday (18/11). Hopaini and several locals are also responsible for the maintenance of the solar-powered irrigation system.

Hopini added that before the solar-powered irrigation system was installed, their crops almost failed several times because of abnormal weather. The reason was that they did not have access to irrigation water. "Although located quite close to Enim River, our rice fields are surrounded by hills and blocked by roads and train stations," said Hopaini.

Nurlela, one of the farmers, also expressed her happiness with the presence of solar-powered irrigation at her village. "Thank you very much. I was usually clueless during the dry season, but now I can grow rice again. I'm so thrilled," said Nurlela.

The Tanjung Raja solar-powered irrigation system is a CSR project of state coal miner PT Bukit Asam. The system uses a submersible pump which can suck in water that contains sludge. It can pump 30 liters of water per second with a 30 meter head. The pump is powered by electricity generated by 60 PV polycrystalline panels, each with a capacity of 275 Watt peak (Wp). These panels are fixed on the roof of the village bridge. The pump sucks in the water of Enim River, then the water is channeled a kilometer away to an intake pool measured 3x3x2 cubic meters. The water from the intake pool is later distributed to the rice fields owned by about 100 farmers.

"The placement of the solar power system on the bridge brings its own attraction. The solar power system has become an icon of the Tanjung Raja Village. Besides not using a person's property, this location was chosen because it is the best place to get maximum sunlight," Hopaini concluded. (IY)

Head of Bureau of Communication, Public Information Services, and Cooperation

Agung Pribadi (08112213555)

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