Energy innovation in Australian irrigated sugarcane -case studies of energy cost reduction

摘要

Rising grid energy costs and squeezed profit margins are prompting agricultural irrigators to investigate alternative energy options. In Australian sugarcane production, an estimated 90% of irrigation pumps are connected to the national electricity grid. In regional Queensland where irrigated cane is grown, both the retailer and Transmission Service Providers (TSP) are government owned and highly regulated. Our study investigates options for on-farm co-generation from a range of commercially available components to reduce energy costs for furrow, centre-pivot and Big Gun irrigation.