Farming in Rwanda is starting on the journey to becoming electric, piloting an electrically powered mechanised farming project.

The tractors are part of Volkswagen Group Africa’s GenFarm project, which will supply sustainable e-powered mechanised farming services suited to rural Africa, according to ITWeb Africa.

The start of the pilot follows a 2023 MoU between VW and the Rwandan government, which agreed to supply land for the project.

An Empowerment Hub (e-Hub), the central component of the project, will be up and running in 2025 to supply the e-services to farming co-operatives. For example, the hub, equipped with solar PV and energy storage, will supply clean energy, storage space and business space to the co-operatives. In the meantime, services will be provided through a temporary facility at Gashora, about 60km from the capital, Kigali.

Co-operatives are able to book an e-tractor – and a trained driver – at the hub. In addition, e-scooters will be available to facilitate mobility for users.

‘The unique selling point of the project is the use of the battery swap system,’ says Volkswagen Group Innovation MD Nikolai Ardey. ‘In this way, the battery becomes part of the hub’s energy infrastructure as well as energy storage for the tractor.’

29 October 2024
Image: Volkswagen