Solar Energy use in Production Facilities in the Amazon
This past March, Light Up the World (LUTW) teamed up with Terra Nuova to carry out a project in which a photovoltaic solar system would be designed and implemented for the production of flour made from plantains, located in the native community of Soledad, in the Amazon region. Carlo Prodezza who is the representative of Terra Nuova in Peru stated that “Terra Nuova is an Italian non-profit organization that focuses on the development of biodiversity.”
Joining Forces in Order to the Supply Chain
Due to the growth of communities in the upper part of Río Santiago, the Winchinkim Association of Agricultural and Ecological Producers of Alto Santiago (ASPAAW), have begun to seek new resources that will economically help the communities and will allow them to grow and improve their quality of life. Thus, a joint effort with ASPAAW, the communities, and the different public and private institutions carried out the implementation of this production facility in the community of Soledad. Not to mention a lot of surrounding communities have benefitted such as Yamanunka, Papayacu, Dos de Mayo, Quim, Ampama, Onanga, Candungos, Soledad and Muchinguis, this means that an estimate of 200 families is being impacted by the production facility. In view of this opportunity for economic growth, Terra Nuova placed its trust in LUTW for the electrification of the Plantain Processing Plant, located in the native community of Soledad of the district of Río Santiago, in the province of Condorcanqui, Amazon Region.
Light Up the World’s Involvement
The community of Soledad opened its doors to LUTW in mid-2021 with the “Light Up the Amazon” projects where 6 schools in the upper Río Santiago were electrified. Through these projects, the objective of the plantain production plant is to strengthen the value chain of plantains in the area in order to help the economic and labour sector of the profited communities.
LUTW focused on a personalized design in order to meet the needs of the plant, prioritizing the quality of the installed equipment and guaranteeing the production of the plant with the implementation of an off-grid photovoltaic solar system that has 8 monocrystalline solar panels that generate 3.6kWp of photovoltaic (PV) power, and a battery bank with 8 stationary units was installed in a 48V configuration, reaching a capacity of 23kWh. In addition, a 6kVA inverter and variable frequency drive (VFD) were installed in order to drive the main three-phase 3HP motor powering the plantain mill. LUTW optimized the system to work specifically with Terra Nuova’s equipment during the production test period. Terra Nuova has also verified with a third party consultant that the energy and installation quality are compliant with production quality standards.
Looking Towards the Future
This collective project has been a great opportunity to improve the quality of life of the residents of the community of Soledad and surrounding communities by generating a product with added value that is competitive in the local market. Not to mention, the support that has been provided to the development of locals who have been trained and certified by LUTW in 2021, in the province of Condorcanqui, were able to provide their services during the execution of this project. Through this, they will continue to contribute to the promotion of renewable energy in the region.
Acknowledgements
The installations executed for Terra Nuova have been one of the most outstanding for LUTW in regard to the productive sector within the Peruvian Amazon. LUTW is pleased to have contributed alongside Terra Nuova in this electrification project in the productive sector in favour of those who reside in the native community of Soledad. We would like to extend our thanks to Carlo Prodezza, who articulated the collaborative work of LUTW with Terra Nuova. Jose Luis Quispe Peña, a specialist in the plantain processing plant project, who provided support with logistics in the province of Condorcanqui. Amazonas; and Julio César Tamienche, manager of the Tambo in the community of Soledad, voluntarily offered us shelter in the facilities of the Tambo, belonging to the PAÍS program.
