Micro Hydro Power and Productive Use Promotion (GIZ ESRA Afghanistan)

List of potential opportunities for productive energy use in the context of MHP schemes

Results from GIZ’s ESRA programme in Afghanistan

Background: GIZ’s energy programme in entitled Afghanistan Renewable Energy Supply for Rural Areas (ESRA) promotes utilisation of renewable energy sources for rural electrification and development, mainly in the form of mini hydro power systems. The programme comprises three components: (i) Energy for rural development, (ii) Energy planning at provincial level, and (iii) Policy advising at the national level. ESRA aims to systematically stimulate economic development potentials by utilising renewable energy technologies and promoting sustainable management systems and productive uses of electricity.

Under GIZ’s ESRA programme in Afghanistan, opportunities for productive use of electricity were identified in the vicinity of micro hydropower (MHP) installation sites by observing markets, investigating secondary sources, and conducting expert interviews with practitioners in development work as well as interviews with individual and grouped representatives and, even more importantly, with businessmen and farmers:

Mining

(1)           gems cutting, faceting and polishing

(2)           stone quarrying, cutting and crushing

(3)           clay brick moulding and firing

Agricultural processing

(4)           silk cocoon spinning

(5)           cooking oil pressing from various kernels and seeds

(6)           grain threshing and winnowing

(7)           flour milling from various grains (barley, maize and wheat, etc.)

(8)           seed preserving and treatment

(9)           juice processing from various fruits

Animal husbandry

(10)        milk processing (dairy products),

(11)        poultry incubation and hatching (meat, eggs)

(12)        sheep wool shearing, washing, carding, spinning and weaving (garments)

(13)        ditto for Kashmir wool processing (garments)

(14)        veterinary services (refrigerators for medicine)

(15)        slaughter houses and meat processing

(16)        animal bone processing for soap making

(17)        hide tanning and leather making (chrome-tanned ‘wet-blue’ leather, shoes)

Manufacturing

(18)        electric welding and cutting for metal furniture, etc.

(19)        woodworking (benches and tools, sawmills)

(20)        block ice making

(21)        water bottling

Services

(22)        restaurant equipment (lighting, refrigerators, cooking utensils)

(23)        tailoring and sewing

(24)        car repair and spraying

(25)        Other services (lighting in shops, battery charging, banking).

After taking stock and listing business opportunities by sector, their importance for the area and the consistency (interconnections) of value chains can be assessed more easily. It became apparent for example that remarkable gaps in food, wool and leather value chains exist due to poor storage facilities. It was further noted that almost all gemstones were exported illegally without any local value addition or taxation.

Further information: http://www.gtz.de/en/weltweit/europa-kaukasus-zentralasien/17421.htm