Expanding energy access in Sudan
The United Nations Development Programme has released a roadmap to unlock the potential of Sudan’s renewable energy and expand energy access.
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Sudan: The United Nations Development Programme has released a roadmap to unlock the potential of Sudan’s renewable energy and expand energy access.
The roadmap, entitled Empowering Sudan: Renewable energy addressing poverty and development, was developed through a series of consultations organised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). This was in response to a request by the government of the Republic of Sudan for technical support to identify and fast-track sustainable energy initiatives and investments.
The report focuses on three broad strategic themes and is framed against a background of the strong linkages between energy, poverty and gender in Sudan. It points out “the lack of access to energy services is both a cause and outcome of poverty.
The three themes are: increase access to sustainable energy services for poverty reduction and empowerment of women; accelerate structural transformation of the energy sector as a means of sustainable development; and promote energy service as a key enabler for building resilience and sustainable recovery to all forms of development shocks.
Electricity use in Sudan is growing at about 13 % annually, despite only 47 % of the country’s rural population currently being connected to the national grid, according to the International Energy Agency.
Sudan is challenged by high electricity subsidy levels and climate changed induced droughts reducing their hydroelectric generation negatively by 4 % every year. Thus improving access to modern and affordable energy is a development need for the northeast African country.
Minister of Energy and Mining, Khairy Abdelrahman Ahmed explained energy plays a central role in poverty reduction, women empowerment, sustainable development and public health. “The time is right to move from pilot projects to a full scale-up of these technologies. We look forward to working with international partners, the private sector and others to achieve Sudan’s renewable energy future,” said Ahmed.
With 60 % of Sudan’s total population lacking access to electricity, findings highlighted in the report include shining a light on the high potential for wind energy in the Northern State, River Nile and Red Sea plus Sudan’s high level of solar irradiance, which offers opportunities to mitigate the threat of climate change.
Source: ESI Africa