Mohammad Riaz, BAU: To reduce reliance on diesel and promote the use of renewable energy in agriculture, the Department of Farm Power and Machinery at Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU),
in collaboration with Birmingham City University (BCU), UK, has launched a new initiative. As part of this effort, a technology demonstration and training centre titled “SMART-SIP Plus: An Innovative Initiative for the Multipurpose Use of Surplus Energy from Solar-Powered Irrigation Pumps in Bangladesh” has been inaugurated in Bhaluka, Mymensingh.
The centre was inaugurated at noon on Sunday (17 May) in Dhitpur of Bhaluka Upazila, Mymensingh.
The demonstration and training centre was inaugurated by Professor Dr. Lindsay Melville, Principal Investigator of the SMART-SIP Plus project and faculty member at Birmingham City University (BCU). The project is funded by the Ayrton Fund under UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). It is jointly implemented by Birmingham City University, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Bright Green Energy Foundation, Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP), and the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC).
The inaugural event was attended by the project’s in-country lead (Bangladesh project head) Professor Dr. Chayan Kumer Saha of the BAU Department of Farm Power and Machinery; Co-Principal Investigator Professor Dr. Md. Harun-or-Rashid of the Department of Agronomy; Co-Principal Investigator Professor Dr. Anisur Rahman of the Department of Farm Power and Machinery; Co-Principal Investigator Associate Professor Dr. A.K.M. Abdullah Al-Amin of the Department of Agricultural Economics; and project researcher Associate Professor Dr. Md. Sanaul Huda of the same department.
Also present were Professor Dr. Mohammad Ashik-e-Rabbani and Associate Professor Dr. Mahjabin Kabir of the Department of Farm Power and Machinery. Representatives from the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC), the British Council Bangladesh, and a research team from Birmingham City University were also in attendance.
Following the inauguration, various solar-powered technologies such as solar irrigation pumps, rice hullers, solar grain dryers, and solar threshers were demonstrated at the centre. Co-Principal Investigator Professor Dr. Anisur Rahman explained the operational mechanisms of each machine to attendees, showcasing their functions using solar energy.
A discussion session was later held with local farmers of Dhitpur, where they shared their expectations regarding the project and expressed how they were already benefiting from its activities.
Professor Dr. Chayan Kumar Saha said, “Our goal is to reduce the hardship of marginal farmers. Renewable energy offers a major opportunity for this. At this centre, solar energy can be used for irrigation, threshing, and drying of paddy. This will reduce dependence on diesel-powered machinery, lower production costs for farmers, and ensure sustainable agricultural development.”
SMART-SIP Plus Project Leader Professor Dr. Lindsay Melville of Birmingham City University added, “The project is not for the farmers. it is of the farmers. We aim to bring these technologies to marginal farming communities to reduce their physical labour. We want to encourage everyone to adopt renewable energy. This is a sustainable energy solution for farmers and for society as a whole.”
