A team of scientists has simulated covering 20% of the Qush-Tepa irrigation canal with PV panels. To this end, the researchers have developed a framework, a so-called integrated techno-economic-environmental assessment, that can be applied elsewhere. “It explicitly quantifies energy production, water evaporation reduction, land use savings and economic performance within a single analytical structure,” said one of the researchers.
A research group from Japan and Afghanistan has conducted a techno-ecological and economic assessment of a PV system (CTPV) on the Afghan Qush-Tepa irrigation canal in Afghanistan. To that end, the researchers introduced a framework called the Integrated Techno-Economic-Environmental Assessment (ITEEA), which they say is transferable to other developing regions with similar characteristics, including India, Pakistan, North and East Africa and parts of Southeast Asia.
“The ITEEA framework explicitly quantifies energy production, water evaporation reduction, land use savings and economic performance within a single analytical structure,” said corresponding author Hameedullah Zaheb. pv magazine. “This integrated perspective is especially important for fragile regions with limited resources, where infrastructure must serve multiple objectives simultaneously. We are interested in expanding the ITEEA framework to other transboundary canal systems in Central and South Asia.”
Discussing the results of applying the framework to the Qush-Tepa Canal, Zaheb said one of the most striking findings was the magnitude of water savings achievable through canal shading. “Even with partial canal coverage, the evaporation reductions translate into hundreds of millions of cubic meters of conserved water over the life of the project, which has economic and strategic significance comparable to electricity generation itself,” he added.
Work on the Qush-Tepa irrigation canal began in 2022 and is expected to be completed in 2028. Located in northern Afghanistan, the project diverts water from the Amu Darya River to irrigate approximately 550,000 hectares and serve more than 60,000 households. The canal has a length of 285 km, excluding sub-channels, with a crest width of 125 m, a bed width of 85 m, a water depth of 6.5 m and a total channel depth of 8 m.
The group’s ITEEA framework starts with geospatial screening and a pre-feasibility assessment, using remote sensing datasets, GIS layers and stakeholder interviews. In the second step, techno-economic and ecological modeling is carried out using the System Advisor Model (SAM) for energy simulation and the evaporation coefficient method (ECM) for hydrological assessment. The third step focuses on technical design and system optimization, including modular system configuration, channel spatial layout and surface coverage.
In the fourth step the system is installed and commissioned. At this stage, the framework takes into account split outputs, such as water flows via pumps to agricultural stores or farms, and electricity generation for rural electrification or grid exports. The fifth step covers policy integration, grid compliance and stakeholder engagement. The final step uses a closed-loop learning approach to compare real-time performance data with baseline projections.
Based on the first three steps, the researchers selected a part of the canal near Mazar-i-Sharif for the CTPV deployment as it offers higher solar potential. They chose crystalline silicon PV modules of 550 W with an efficiency of 19%, installed at a tilt angle of 0° and an azimuth of 180°, facing south. The modeled system had a total capacity of 836 MW. Because this was a simulation study, the team did not implement the system, but instead modeled its operation using capacity factors of 18%, 20%, and 23%.
“The CTPV system is designed with an installed capacity of 836 MW, and with a base capacity factor of 20% the system can generate approximately 1,465 GWh annually, with a sensitivity range of 1,318–1,684 GWh, corresponding to capacity factors of 18–23%,” the group explains. “In addition, the system reduces water evaporation by approximately 20%, saving approximately 445 million m3 of water and delivering water savings benefits worth approximately $200 million over 25 years.
“Land use savings contribute an additional $118 million to the total benefits,” the scientists explained. “The initial investment required is approximately $1.08 billion, and the project economics are evaluated over a 25-year term at a base discount rate of 12%, with a sensitivity analysis of 8 to 16%. Under favorable financing and performance scenarios, the system shows positive economic returns, while the results remain sensitive to assumptions about capacity factors and discount rates.”
The research work was presented in “Photovoltaic systems on the Qush-Tepa canal on the canal: a model for synergy between energy and water”, published in Energy conversion and management: X. Researchers from Japan’s Ryukyus University, Afghanistan’s Kabul University and Avicenna University participated in the study.
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