Nine project sites in the Amhara, Oromia, Sidama, and Southern regional states will be introduced to solar mini-grids and electric irrigation as a pilot program of Distributed Renewable Energy-Agriculture Modality (DREAM) project. It aims to address solar-generated energy for agriculture.

Launched by the Ministry of Water & Energy recently, the project is expected to impact 7,000 people, including 1,545 farmers irrigating 1,215hct of land.

The Ministry plans to roll out the project to more than 100 sites if the pilot program is effective.

According to Mesfin Dabi, head of power development at the Ministry, 90pc of the project aims to provide irrigation service, while the rest plans to provide energy access to households facilitating clean water and streetlights. He added that it would supply reliable and affordable solar mini-grid power to enable large-scale cluster irrigation farms throughout the year.

DREAM project has a 20 million dollar budget, half of which is a loan from the Africa Development Bank and a 40pc grant from the Global Energy Alliance for People & Planet. The private companies participating in the project are expected to cover the rest.

SNV Netherlands Development Organisation manages the project fund, procurement of the power plants, and bids to hire companies installing the mini-grids. The US-based Renewvia Energy has been contracted to undertake the Chefe-Kora, Huluku, Dalle, and Moko sites in Oromia Regional State, while Engie Equatorial from Uganda was awarded the Aregawi, Andega and Telifa sites in Amhara Regional State and RVE.SOL, a company based in Portugal, took the Lelicho and Murchi sites in Sidama and Southern regional states.

The Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI) is responsible for the irrigation process. According to Yifru Tafesse, deputy director general for ATA, drilling of pilot sites has started except in Amhara Regional State, which is on hold for further hydrological studies.

"It will take three years to be operational," he said.