USAID launches tubewell efficiency improvement project

In a bid to assist the severely energy deficient economy of Pakistan, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) has launched a Tubewell Efficiency Improvement Programme (TWEIP) with the objective of saving 45 MW or 115.5 GWh electricity per year by replacing 11,000 inefficient tubewell pumps.
This would in turn save $3.7 million per year from a reduction in sales of subsidised electricity to farmers. Launched in partnership with Ministry of Water and Power, the 18.5 million programme envisages 50 percent subsidy to farmers for procuring new pumps to reduce electricity consumption by 20 percent.
The programme will replace 11, 000 units but the government can save about 940 MW of electricity if all electricity driven pumps are replaced with the more efficient ones.
Pakistan is world's fourth largest user of ground water for irrigation that is brought to the surface through tubewells driven by electricity and diesel. The agriculture sector which contributes 20 percent to the GDP is the third largest consumer of energy with 230,000 tubewell pumps across the country. In addition, there are 500,000 diesel driven pumps as well.
Currently, the country is facing a shortfall of almost 5000 MW leading to blackouts that disrupt commerce, industry and agriculture. As a result, the annual GDP growth has declined from 8 percent to 2 percent. USAID's electricity for water programme aims to replace up to 11, 000 inefficient tubewell pumps (Centrifugal, Turbine and Submersible) with more energy efficient ones. Each replacement set includes a tubewell pump and a corresponding motor with motor control unit.
Replacement also includes coupling, sizing and installation of the complete pumps on the turnkey contract with a prominent high quality Pakistani pump manufacturer, revealed an official during a background briefing on the project.
In order to help farmers obtain financing for pump replacement, the project has helped determine payback periods that ensure positive monthly cash flows making the programme self-sustainable, as replacement will not have to rely on subsidy, he added.
When asked about providing some loan facility to the farmers to pay 50 percent amount for replacement of their pumps, the official further revealed that nine commercial banks of the country had agreed to provide loans to the farmers for this purpose.
To another question, he said that there was a distinct probability of continuation of this programme till replacement of all 230000 pumps. The official explained that over the past 30 years, ground water use in Pakistan has risen exponentially, thereby increasing the burden on Pakistan's electrical demand.
He said that the pump sets were often oversized, which suck water from increasingly declining depths and also to withstand large voltage fluctuations. The energy consumption is high mainly due to improper selection and installation of the pumps use of high-friction piping and lack of proper maintenance which, he said, is overcome through pre-installation audits of old pumps.
In order to substantiate, the official referred to an energy saving audit done prior and after the replacement of pumps. According to the data, 365 units (electricity driven pumps) having an average energy consumption of 19.32 kW had gone down to 13.27 kW after replacement. Similarly, average pumpset energy efficiency had improved from 37.39 percent to 55.48 percent with the more efficient pumps.
To a question about standards of new pumps, he said that some 58 manufacturers had applied via an expression of interest. However, only six had been selected through SGS, a certification that stipulates that pumps and motors meet the standards of efficiency required for the programme, based on ISO 9906 (cold water pump set testing standard).
When asked about the strategy to reach out to farmers, the official said that awareness was being created through utility bill advertisement, television and FM radio advertisements, farmers meetings and by using sugar mills, rice mills, cotton ginners, fertiliser and pesticide dealer networks. We have offered a very simple procedure as the process of interaction starts with a call from the farmer, he elaborated. The official further stated that "we have received some 3700 calls from the farmers after advertisements were carried by Mepco and Fesco".