Sudan: Sudan Energy A plan to power the country

Following the Gulf funded extension of the Roseires Dam in 2013, Sudan is further looking to harness the country’s huge hydropower potential in order to boost power generation, while investment opportunities in renewables are as well available

Provision of basic services such as electricity remains closely linked to economic increase. Electricity services are particularly essential, and it is one of areas that the Sudanese government has given increasing attention to in recent years.

In a country which not so long ago was only capable of producing 200 megawatts (MW) of electricity, this has increased dramatically over the last decade with capacity standing presently well into the thousands of megawatts, meaning power is reaching far additional people in additional remote areas, with shortages and outages as well becoming much less of an occurrence.

While Sudan’s energy mix has traditionally been dominated by oil, the recent power push has largely been generated by better investment in hydroelectricity.

For example, the Chinese funded £1.2 billion, 174km Merowe Dam situated on the River Nile finished construction in 2009 and as a result doubled the country’s power generation at the time.

Furthermore, in one of the biggest development projects to hit Sudan lately, the Roseires Dam on the Blue Nile in the south of the country was expanded last time(this time by Gulf donors), boosting not only the existing dam’s power supply, but as well further downstream in the Merowe plant, inclunding improving irrigation and agricultural productivity in the area.

With these projects alone having dramatically enhanced Sudan’s power generation capacity in such a short space of time – and with the request for electricity constantly growing amongst the country’s rapidly urbanizing and industrializing people – along with initiating projects to increase generation further still, the Government is presently working to establish an extended national grid network.

Under the Ministry of Electricity and Dams, five national companies restored the National Electricity Corporation in 2010 with the responsibility of generation, transmission and distribution of electricity in Sudan, while as well charged with improving in general efficiency and creating a additional attractive environment for investors.

One major joint mission of these companies is to connect all the states of Sudan with one stable electrical transmission network by the year 2015.

The role of foreign investment is, of course, essential to achieving this goal, with the installation of transmission lines expected to see major increase amidst the wide availability of investment opportunities.

By presently Sudan has seen significant funding by the Chinese Government in its power line development initiative, while work that has begun on the Abu Hamad transmission line is being supported by Qatar.

And with so much additional anticipated in terms of Sudan’s electrical energy industry on top of the advancing conditions of the business climate, presently is the right time for electrical generation and distribution companies to discover new opportunities and markets.

Aside from the country’s evident vast potential to produce power from hydro sources along the River Nile, there are as well great prospects in the area of renewable energies.

“In addition to the transmission lines, we as well have thermal plants which are going on presently and connecting the whole of Western Sudan,” says the National Minister of Electricity and Dams.

“We are focusing on renewable energy, such as thermal, solar and wind generation, and we are as well looking at biomass and geothermal.”

In a region which has extremely high solar intensity, solar (inclunding wind) installations can by presently be found in Sudan.

However projects remain on a relatively smaller scale as the Government continues to seek better foreign financing. Furthermore, with Sudan’s enormous agricultural resources, biomass is as well becoming a viable power generator – with Chinese investors again becoming the initial to embark on a bio-energy project there.

Going forward, considering the abundant opportunities available to foreign investors, Sudan’s Ministry of Electricity and Dams is keen to emphasize the need for the private sector to lead Sudan’s strategy for alternative energy – which is seen as key to increasing access, and thus, lessening deprivation.

“We want clean energy, cheaper energy and energy that people who live far away from the national grid can access. In turn, this will help reduce poverty.”