South Sudan’s Ministry of Energy and Dams has chosen Egyptian manufacturer El Sewedy Electric to build the country’s first large scale PV power project.
The African Export-Import Bank is financing the $45 million project, which will include a 20 MW solar park coupled with a 35 MWh storage system. It will be located in Nesitu county, 20 km from the capital, Juba, El Sewedy Electric said, adding the project will be finalized within 12 months of the start of construction. No further technical or financial details were provided about the facility.
The project will be the country’s first megawatt scale solar power plant. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency, South Sudan had only installed 18 MW of solar by the end of last year, most of it off-grid capacity.
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The world’s youngest globally recognized nation, which depends heavily on imported fossil fuels for power, has an electricity access rate of around 59%. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, 56% of South Sudan’s power demand was met by hydropower in 2016.
This article was amended on 09/12/19 to indicate the story refers to South Sudan, rather than Sudan, as previously stated.
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Can you correct the article and state whether the solar plant is in Sudan or South Sudan? Further confusion is referring to Juba as the national capital but you have picture of Khartoum. Which is it, then?
Thank you for pointing out the error, Dr Fundafunda. It has been amended, with our apologies for any misunderstanding caused.
I so much appreciate this project considering the fact that South Sudan receives much thermal energy from the sun.