Aftrak, an innovative initiative that combines solar microgrids and tailored micro-electric tractors to empower smallholder farmers across Africa, triumphed in the Power and Energy category at an awards ceremony held at The Library of Birmingham earlier this week.
Aftrak’s microgrid solution integrates energy access with electric agriculture and deep bed farming to potentially boost crop yield, generate income and provide access to sustainable electricity. There is potential to scale this for millions of African smallholder farmers and their communities.
Accelerating from initial concept to successful trial in less than 18 months, Aftrak has electrified a remote community and provided a walk-behind micro-tractor in Malawi which is undergoing field testing.
A limited company is being established to develop the technology to deploy across Malawi, where 89% of the population lacks electricity access. The initiative aims to support the World Bank’s goals of providing electricity to 380 million people in Africa by 2030.
The University team behind this innovation, part of the University’s Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering Net Zero research and innovation portfolio, is led by a team consisting of Dr Jonathan Wilson, Dr Toby Williams and Professor Dani Strickland.
Professor Dan Parsons, Loughborough’s Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation, said: “The Aftrak team have achieved remarkable success in less than two years, I am incredibly proud of the work they are doing in bringing sustainable energy, income generation, and famine prevention to a remote communities in Sub-Saharan Africa. This is a powerful example of how innovation can drive transformative change.
“I am thrilled that this flagship project has been recognised with an IET Innovation and Excellence Award. The awards celebrate the best in engineering and technology, and Aftrak’s recognition is a testament to the strength of our research breakthroughs and their ability to address some of humanity’s most pressing challenges.”
In May 2024, Aftrak was named the $1 million Grand Prize winner of the Milken-Motsepe Prize in Green Energy.