German Solar Training Week on Solar Water Pumping, Irrigation and Treatment

 19 – 21 April 2017 in Gaborone, Botswana
24 – 26 April 2017 in Lusaka, Zambia

From the 19th to the 26th of April 2017, the German Energy Solutions Initiative will facilitate trainings conducted by German companies in the context of the German Solar Training Week (GSTW). The topic of the event will be „Solar Water Pumping, Irrigation and Treatment“. Participants will benefit from the event by:
•    Building capacity on technical and financial aspects of solar powered water pumping, irrigation and treatment
•    Identifying new business partnerships with reliable German companies and strengthening the existent ones

In addition to the GSTW, participants will have the opportunity to engage in business-to-business meetings (B2B) with German companies to talk about specific opportunities and areas of interest. The meetings will be held as part of a forum with a topic-related panel discussion. The trainings are available for registered persons only and include lunch and coffee breaks. Each session is explained below and the respective target groups are outlined.

Trainers
The training content will be presented by representatives of reputable German companies:

•    Droege Energy GmbH

•    KACO new energy Africa
•    KSB Pumps and Valves Ltd.
•    Siemens Ltd.
•    SMA Sunbelt Energy GmbH

General Background
The water demand of the agricultural sector in Sub-Saharan Africa is immense. The sector struggles to keep up with the requirements of farms to produce high quality products for the national and international markets. Energy used in irrigation can account for upwards of 50 % of a total farm’s energy bill and represents an important factor in the planning of every farmer. Cost effective, reliable and sustainable water irrigation systems are needed in the long term to ensure the essential water supply. The use of solar powered pumping systems in agricultural irrigation is a viable alternative to current fuel powered solutions. The German Solar Training Week will give an overview of the principles of solar powered water pumping, irrigation and treatment systems (SPWPIT) and possible providers of such systems. Key to the expansion of solar powered water pumping and services in the Zambian and Botswanan market is building local capacity as well as establishing business partnerships. The German Solar Training Week, organized in the framework of the “Energy Solutions – Made in Germany” initiative, aims to facilitate new business partnerships and strengthen existing ones as well as provide a platform for information exchange and technology and knowhow transfer.