Project: Solar Energy for Tilapia Fingerlings Hatchery

Country & region/location: Kenya, Rusinga Island - Homabay County

Category: Energy & Business

Island of Hope is a community centre in Rusinga Island taking care of orphans, vulnerable children and poor families, offering a comprehensive range of services including educational facilities, an orphanage, a medical clinic, and a fish farm. The centre has been operational for the last 18 years and currently the centre provides direct services to more than 600 families in the island. The center heavily relies on donor funding, prompting Centrum Narovinu to explore local funding avenues through social enterprise initiatives over the past five years.

Rusinga Island, predominantly a fishing community in Lake Victoria, faces challenges in traditional fishing practices due to global climate changes, resulting in declining fish catches despite an increased demand for fish. To address this, Centrum Narovinu has established a fish farming project as social enterprise that employs locals and also channel the profits back to the project. Island of Hope fish farm was started to mitigate on the supply gap, create job opportunities for the locals as it generates profit that can used in running part of the center.

For optimal performance and profitability, the fish farm requires its own fingerlings hatchery system. However, consistent and reliable electricity is crucial for the incubation of tilapia eggs, a process highly sensitive to power interruptions. Given the frequent electricity blackouts on the island, often lasting for extended periods, the hatchery system would be at risk.

The project involves installing a hatchery system powered by a solar PV system capable of producing thirty thousand fingerlings monthly. These fingerlings will then be transferred to five outgrow cages, serving both internal needs and sales to local farmers.

The implementation of a PV system will ensure an uninterrupted energy supply for the hatchery, reducing dependency on erratic power sources. Additionally, a standby diesel generator will provide emergency power if needed. This initiative aims to decrease spending per circle for Centrum Narovinu, strictly adhere to stocking schedules, and enhance overall farm output by over 40%, with a projected income increase of 20% once the project is operational.

Expected results:

• A fully functional tilapia fingerlings hatchery system powered by 15kW solar energy, with the capacity of producing 30.000 fingerlings per month
• 5 outgrow cage system with 5 round 10M diameter cages with a capacity of 30.000 fingerlings each for the conditioning of the fingerlings before sale
• Reduce the cost of fingerlings to the farm and double income through the fingerlings’ sale to the local fish farmers that will be used in the activities of Island of Hope
• Involvement of agriculture students in the project to learn from it.

Impact (results)