Assessment of Groundwater Pumping Alternatives for Irrigation Purposes based on the SIMUS Method

Abstract

The agricultural sector production in developing countries is highly dependent on rains, being affected by scarcity periods and important water resource reductions in summers. It is very common in countries of the Mediterranean basin that need to pump water for the irrigation of crops, mainly due to the problems of drought and shortage of surface water for irrigation. The water pumping from the subsoil can be then assumed as annual, seasonal or direct, identifying different types of energy sources such as fossil fuels —mainly diesel equipment—, direct supply from grid or PV power plants— isolated or connected to the grid through net-balance system—, which are required to be applied by the agricultural sector. It can be affirmed that the majority of the commercially available water pumps run with electricity generated by Diesel engines and renewables, more specifically photovoltaic (PV) solar technologies, which have become a competitive alternative to pump water with real advantages over traditional fuel-driven generators. However, PV Water Pumping (PVWP) solutions have been marginally implemented; being considered as an electric energy source mainly in remote locations or through hybrid solutions. This paper describes a multidimensional methodology assessment of the different types of groundwater pumping with their potential combinations of aggregated agricultural areas, aquifer depth, and irrigation crop requirements, to determine the optimum or suitable size for future implementation of the most advantageous system, according to the aquifer depth and the water endowment defined. For that, this paper uses the SIMUS method for the assessment of the different types of groundwater pumping, with their potential combinations, by considering specific water aspects of the Spanish studied area (Castilla La Mancha, Spain).