Sudan plans to boost hydro, thermal power generation by 2020

Sudan on Sunday approved a plan to increase hydro and thermal electricity generation, adding 3,155 megawatts of electricity by 2020 to bridge the gap in electricity supply.

The technical committee of the economic development sector at Sudan's Council of Ministers Sunday approved the Frame Work Document for the development of the electricity sector between 2015-2020, according to a press release by the Sudanese Council of Ministers Sunday.

The document, presented by Sudan's Ministry of Water Resources and Electricity, tends to upgrade hydropower generation in the country from 1,500 megawatts per hour to 2,000 megawatts per hour.

Thermal electricity generated in the country is expected to jump from 900 megawatts to 3,555 megawatts by 2020 where plans initially aim to link the national electricity network with the towns of Darfur, Blue Nile and the South Kordofan region, currently undergoing armed clashes between government forces and armed groups, according to the release.

Extensive Sudanese areas have recently witnessed systematic electricity power cuts, prompting modest protests in the capital city of Khartoum as well as a number of other Sudanese cities.

In December of last year, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) warned that Sudan would face an electricity production problem in the future, if it does not establish alternative projects which take into account decreased rainfall and increased consumption.

Access to electricity is available to 35 percent of Sudan's population whilst over 25 million people have not yet been connected to the national electricity grid, according to the UNDP.

The Sudanese Ministry of Electricity announced that it faced a deficit of 5 percent in electricity supply during peak hours, and that generated electricity by Sudan's biggest dam, Merowe Dam, was insufficient for consumption by the capital Khartoum alone, even if it operated at maximum capacity of 1,250 megawatts.

Sudan aims to complete construction of the dams of Upper Atbara and Setait in eastern Sudan so as to increase the national electricity network by 320 megawatts, if, as scheduled, inaugurated by early next year.