The population of the Republic of Sudan is approximately 44.20 million people[1]. In 2018, only 59.8% of the people in this Northeast African country had access to electricity[2].
In 2018, Sudan’s economy was ranked 115th in gross domestic product (GDP) in the world[3]. The country’s economy is heavily dependent on the export of oil, gold, timber, and livestock.
In 2016, Sudan signed the Paris Climate Agreement[4], committing to increase nonhydroelectric renewable energy to 20% of the country’s power mix by 2030, conditional on international support. Sudan also pledged to increase the country’s total forest area to 25% by 2030.
In 2016, Sudan’s state-owned electric company, National Electricity Corporation (NEC) used renewable energy (57%) and oil (43%) to generate electricity in the country[5]. Hydropower is the dominate source of renewable energy, generating 51% of the country’s total electrical power.
In 2019, Sudan had only 19 MW of solar power. The government’s goal is to install 500 MW of solar power and 300 MW of wind power by year-end 2021.
On November 1, 2020, Sudanese Minister of Energy and Mining, Khairy Abdul Rahmanhas, and the General Director of the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, Mohamed Saif Al Suwaidi, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the development of solar projects with a combined capacity of 500 MW in Sudan. The solar projects will be built by renewable energy companies from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Sudan has significant renewable energy potential, which could provide power to everyone in the county. However, it will take substantial international financial assistance to develop the country’s solar, wind, and hydropower resources.
Jack Kerfoot
Website – “Our Energy Conundrum”
[1] Sudan Population (2020) – November 8, 2020 www.worldometers.info
[2] World Bank, “Access To Electricity (% Population) – Sudan
[3] Gross Domestic Product 2019 – World Bank DataBank
[4] Carbon Brief “Paris 2015: Tracking Country Climate Pledges”
[5] World Data – Energy Consumption in Sudan