Irrigation Minister Hossam Moghazy has stressed the need for investment in solar energy to secure sustainable energy sources, while simultaneously helping with land reclamation and irrigation projects.
Speaking at a symposium on solar-powered irrigation pumps on Tuesday, Moghazy said that Egypt is perfectly placed to benefit from solar energy, which is considered a clean source of energy with no negative impact on the natural environment.
He said the economic cost of producing solar energy is affordable in the medium- and long-term, with a wide range of applications within the Egyptian context, including pumping ground-water for irrigation.
Using solar power to pump water is a good way to regulate the number of hours that pumps were in operation, thereby helping to avoid depletion of ground-water supplies, he explained.
According to Moghazy, plans for implementing solar-powered water-pumping wells will allow the ministry to evaluate ground water supplies and adjust pumping rates where necessary, while the wells themselves will belong to those using the water.
The ministry's plan involves operating wells alternately to allow the reservoirs to be naturally replenished.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
