South Sudan power group

Will South Sudan benefit from Ethiopia's diversified off-grid power system?

As a member of the Eastern Africa Power Pool – a collaborative effort by 13 east African countries to interconnect their power grids and facilitate efficient trade of electricity among its member states – South Sudan will benefit from co-member Ethiopia’s diversified, off-grid power systems.

What is the South Sudanese electricity corporation (SSEC)?

The SSEC was established in 2012 under the Ministry of Energy and Mining of South Sudan, following the split from Sudan and gaining independence the year before. At this point the country was only producing 25 MW of installed electricity generation capacity with only 1% of the country’s nine-million people having access to electricity.

How many people in South Sudan have electricity?

Today, only about 1 percent of South Sudan’s 12.5 million people can access the electric grid, according to the state-run utility. Many people use rooftop solar arrays or noisy, polluting diesel generators to keep the lights on; still many more are left in the dark.

Is South Sudan adding its own generation?

At the same time, the young country is adding its own generation. Late last year, Ezra Group opened a 33-megawatt oil-fired power plant, which will use scrubbers to reduce air pollution. The Eritrean firm says it plans to build 100 total megawatts of fossil fuel capacity in South Sudan by 2021, at a cost of nearly $290 million.

Will Ethiopia provide electricity to South Sudan?

Ethiopia is currently targeting an electricity transmission and distribution capacity of more than 70,000 GW, offering scope to supply much-needed electricity to South Sudan, whose electrification rates are amongst the lowest on the African continent.

Will South Sudan build a hydropower project near Juba?

The utility is looking for investors to build a 120-megawatt hydropower project near Juba, which could cost $490 million to construct over five years. South Sudan’s government says it also plans to invest in the 1,080-megawatt Grand Fula project proposed near the Ugandan border, though how and when it would do so is unclear.