SOLAR23 delivers 150 PV refrigerator systems to Somalia - for responsible and sustainable fisheries.
Cooling Fish with the Power of the Sun
Ulm, April 15th 2014. Following a nutrition campaign by the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) of Somalia, SOLAR23 delivered 150 PV refrigerator systems to Somalia in January. The intention is to develop the sustainable fisheries sector step by step, with the ultimate aim to improve the lives and health of the population of Somalia.
The situation in many parts of the country has been considered worrisome since the beginning of the civil war in 1991. In addition to the destruction of central areas of infrastructure in the aftermath of the war, long periods of drought and a consequent rural exodus have ensured supply shortfalls for the population - particularly with respect to protein-rich foods.
In this situation, fishing in particular was put back into the spotlight as a long-neglected resource. Although fish was not originally represented in the traditional Somali cuisine, this sector had generated at least $ 15 million per year before the civil war. It has great socio-economic potential for the development and stabilization of the country.
This is exactly where international aid projects can generate the most momentum. They start where viable projects have already been identified and targeted measures for self-help can be implemented to support the population in a meaningful way.
In the case of Somalia, a nutrition campaign for sustainable and responsible development of the fisheries sector has been launched by the FAO. Since a lack of basic infrastructure and equipment such as refrigerated warehouses, piers or fishing boats meant that no prerequisites for the establishment of a fishing industry were initially present, the infrastructural framework had to be developed as a first step.
Help precisely where it is required
The main target group of the aid project are mainly women headed households who live from fish sales alone. To ensure that the assistance actually makes it through to them, the FAO has introduced a special selection process as an insurance against corruption. Members of FAO and the Somali fishing authority examine in a multi-stage process the indigence of the selected persons. Likewise, the flow of transport and the delivery of the refrigerators is meticulously tracked and documented in a following step, for responsible self-help - directly on site.
Autonomous and complete systems from SOLAR23
As part of this construction project, SOLAR23 fishing was awarded the contract to supply 150 independent PV refrigerator systems to Somalia in September 2013. The delivery comprised a complete system with solar panels and support frame, refrigerator, charge controller and battery including wiring and grounding. To also give enough consideration to the health aspect and to guarantee safety in the cold chain, the refrigerators were equipped with transport coolers and temperature data recorders that capture the ambient temperature every 15 minutes and save it for up to one year. Thus, cooling can be maintained during transport and the cold chain can be reconstructed.
In the selection of the components, high quality is a particular consideration to ensure the longest possible service life of the PV system. These components include parts from renowned German manufacturers like HECKERT SOLAR, STECA and SCHLETTER.