Cai: February 2009 Archives

In my last blog I mentioned that given the increasing fuel prices, the solar powered rope pump could be set to become highly competitive. The target market of the rope pump would include those with longer financial horizons such as NGOs and other large community institutions, as well as those organisations with a specific interest in low-carbon development such as SolarAid. With the pressure to meet international carbon reduction targets there could be other more commercial avenues too.

A section from a Ting Ting painting, by a Tanzanian artist, showing the use of a solar rope pump in the 'Solar village'

Back in the UK
I've now returned to Bristol to complete the final year of my masters degree in Mechanical Engineering. Comprehensive system specification and engineering drawings of the solar powered rope pump will be produced during the summer.

As mentioned in my last blog, from September the findings from my study will be used by a student from Mzuzu University in Malawi; who is yet to be selected.

The student will then be responsible for:
• Sourcing all the parts
• Constructing the pump
• Fully testing the system
• Adding any improvements as appropriate
• Carrying out a comprehensive comparative cost-benefit analysis of the pump and its competition.

The final design should then be ready for manufacture and installation by April 2010!

Plans for the future
This project has inspired me to formulate a clearer career path in a field that I was already committed to. I now plan to pursue the development and dissemination of the rope pump technology more generally.

Me back at Bristol

After graduation (and paying off some debt!) I plan to visit Nicaragua, where I will learn Spanish and hope to learn as much as I can from a Nicaraguan rope pump business, which has been providing 25% of the country's water over the last 15 years.

In the longer term, I hope to set up a rope pump business. Based in Africa, I imagine it's market would be NGOs, the government, private small-holdings, farmers and families. I hope the business model I employ would allow the business to be managed locally within a couple of years, helping to boost local economy.

With the help of good business and some investment, over the coming years the rope pump is set to help many thousands of people to lift themselves out of poverty in Malawi as well as across Africa.

Thank you for reading about the rope pump developments and for following the project!
Cai