NexusHub — platform for self-sufficient food supply in arid regions

Why do we need this new technology?

People across many areas of Africa suffer from a lack of infrastructure. Climate change is exacerbating existing issues such as water scarcity, food shortages, and power outages. In the NexusHub project, scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB and the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT have joined forces with researchers from Jomo Kenyatta University for Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) in Nairobi, Kenya, to develop a combined, decentralized solution: NexusHub.

This self-sufficient system enables water-conserving cultivation of crops in rural regions and features a solar infrastructure that allows it to supply not only the electricity needed for this, but also additional energy to operate further devices. The system is intended as an important contribution to preserving the livelihoods of the local people. Once the preliminary work is completed in Nairobi, the plan is to test and improve the system in collaboration with people living in a rural area and then roll it out from there to elsewhere in Kenya.

Who will benefit from the new technology?

The technology is aimed primarily at subsistence-farming families in arid rural regions of Kenya. As the second step, the new infrastructure can be further expanded to support the development of small businesses. It is also possible to connect it to a wireless communication infrastructure, which makes the location attractive to grid operators.

How does the new solution work?

NexusHub is a “water-energy-food nexus,” in which pico- or micro-solar panels supply and store electricity. The systems are efficient and profitable, producing renewable energy to grow crops in highly water-conserving hydroculture facilities (hydroponics) and to process organic waste into fertilizers. The excess energy can be used for other productive activities such as operating electrical equipment and wireless communication systems.

The system was designed to be very compact in size to make the technical configuration suitable for households or cooperatives. In principle, all of the components can also be configured for large-scale commercial use.

Fraunhofer IGB focuses on locally available resources to operate the energy-independent hydroponic system. This particularly relates to production of fertilizers to eliminate the need to import expensive mineral fertilizers. Biological processes are used to produce a nutrient solution from nutrient-rich organic waste. This solution ensures optimum plant growth in the hydroponic system. The energy infrastructure is being provided by Fraunhofer ICT, and the rugged and user-friendly Arduino controls are being developed at Jomo Kenyatta University. Work on the project is taking place both at Fraunhofer IGB in Germany and at Jomo Kenyatta University in Nairobi.

What makes the project unique?

This technology is unique for the way it combines components from various disciplines. There are already approaches for combining renewable energy with traditional agriculture. However, this is the first system ever developed that contributes to supplying water, energy, and food in equal measure. Combining energy supply and storage with food production from waste creates new and sustainable prospects for collective farms in less-developed regions.

“One especially important factor, aside from our collaboration with our Kenyan partners, is coordination with local people, such as commercial hydroponic farmers,” explains Dr. Peter Fischer, NexusHub project manager and an expert on stationary storage at Fraunhofer ICT. “This is the only way to leverage knowledge together and develop NexusHub to fit the needs of the populace and local circumstances.”

Why is the Fraunhofer Future Foundation supporting this project?

Food security, water supply, and affordable and clean energy are all key development goals in Kenya. NexusHub enables resource-conserving food production and a self-sufficient energy supply. This means it represents a sustainable future outlook for people in rural regions of the Global South.