By Brent Simon
For farmers in Antigua and Barbuda, water is more than a resource — its survival. Each dry season brings the same worry: cracked soil, wilting crops, and dwindling income.
But this morning, hope took a tangible form with the launch of a pioneering solar-powered desalination pilot under the FAO’s Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP/3901).
The Nanophotonics Enhanced Direct Solar Membrane Distillation (NESMD) system, developed in collaboration with the University of Texas at El Paso, was installed beside APUA Well Pump No.8, in Blubber Valley, Jennings, and can transform brackish water into life-sustaining irrigation.
Operating entirely on solar power, the mobile unit produces 2 cubic meters of fresh, low-salinity water per day for delicate crops such as tomatoes, while also generating 2 cubic meters of concentrate water suitable for hardier crops like sweet potato.
“This project is important because it gives farmers access to water when they otherwise would have none,” said Brent George, Projects Coordinator at the Ministry of Agriculture.
“By making water with high salinity usable through reverse osmosis, we ease pressure on our limited freshwater supplies. Farmers from all around the country will be able to benefit from this resource.”
The pilot’s engineering expertise comes from Julius Pohjola, CEO of Solar Water Solutions, a Finland-based company specializing in off-grid clean water technologies.
Pohjola is no stranger to Antigua; he has already overseen installations of solar desalination units in Lightfoot, providing pensioners with reliable water, and in Christian Valley, directly supporting local farmers. These early successes proved that the technology could thrive under Caribbean conditions.
Standing beside the unit at its unveiling, Pohjola stressed the simplicity and reliability of the system: powered only by the sun, requiring minimal maintenance, and producing no waste. For farmers, that translates into something rare and priceless — predictability.
FAO Project Coordinator Luke Nedd framed the initiative as a turning point. “This is about building resilience. It’s not just technology — it’s giving our farmers the confidence that even in times of drought, they can keep producing, keep feeding the nation.”
As the pilot moves forward, data on water quality, crop performance, and cost-effectiveness will be closely monitored to guide future expansion. The hope is that with support from the Government, private sector, and climate funds, similar units could soon dot the island, providing farmers everywhere with a shield against climate stress.
For now, the hum of the solar-powered unit carries more than the sound of machinery. It carries the sound of reassurance — proof that in Antigua and Barbuda, resilience is not just a slogan, but something farmers can see, touch, and taste in the water that sustains their land.
Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Antigua!
We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages.
Contact us at [email protected]
