WSHPDR_2013_Final_Report-updated_version

1.2.4 Sudan
Abdeen Mustafa Omer, Energy Research Institute,
Sudan; Kai Whiting, International Center on Small Hydro
Power
Key facts
Population 34,206,710 1
Area 2,376,000 km 2
Climate The prevalent climate is hot and dry
and there is an arid desert.
Topography Generally flat, with featureless plains
and desert dominating the north
Rain Pattern The rainy season varies by region from
April to November. 1
Electricity sector overview
Energy power infrastructure is at the moment
developed only around selected urban centres and
strongly associated with hydropower with limited
thermal generation capacity. The national grid reaches a
half million households, less than 10 per cent of the
population; major and minor local grids serve another 5
per cent. As a result, only 30 per cent of the population
has access to electricity. 2 The National Electricity Utility
(NEC) transmits electricity through two inter-connected
electrical grids: the Blue Nile Grid and the Western Grid.
The supply of electricity in off-grid zones is often based
on small diesel-fired generators for power. 2
The authors believed that there was a scope for
extending the national electricity transmission and
distribution capabilities, and that Sudan has the
potential to engage in cooperative electricity
transmission projects with neighbouring Ethiopia. 3
Power generation capacity tripled in just a few years,
rising from around 800 MW in 2005 to 2,687 MW in
2007, with a shift toward hydropower (figure 1). 4
Thermal
45%
Hydropower
55%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Figure 1 Electricity generation in Sudan
Source: Ranganathan and Briceño- Garmenda 4
The 2000 Energy Law opened doors to private investors
in electricity generation, transportation and distribution.
The 2001 Investment Law also did the same for foreign
investments, inviting such cooperation in particular
from China. 2
Small hydropower overview and potential
Before independence was granted to South Sudan,
Sudan had the highest hydropower capacity in the North
African region. 5 There are six hydropower plants in
operation, with one of them being a small hydropower
plant (below-10 MW installed capacity) (figure 2 and
table). Sennar dam is the oldest dam in the country. 6
SHP installed capacity
SHP potential
7.2 MW
34.2 MW
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Figure 2 Small hydropower capacities in Sudan
Note: A country-wide study has not been carried out.
Installed hydropower capacity in Sudan
Station
Year
Unit
capacity
(MW)
Units
(Number)
Total
capacity
(MW)
Sennar 1962 7.5 2 15.0
Roseires 1972/1989 40 7 280.0
Girba 1 1964 5.3 2 10.6
Girba 2 1964 2.4 3 7.2
Jabal
Aulia
2003 3.6 8 30.4
Merowe 2009/2010 125 10 1250.0
Source: Abuaglla 7
There have been two agricultural projects, one in
Eljazeera and one in Elmanagil, estimating the power
generation potential for some irrigation structures. The
Elzajeera project focused on the assessment of four
different sites with a total estimated potential of 14.3
MW. The Elmanagil project focused on the assessment
of eight different sites with a total estimated potential
of 12.66 MW. Potential sites for small hydropower
plants are on existing irrigation dams and canals, as well
as on seasonal rivers. 7
The government is currently heightening the Roseires
Dam by 10 metres, which will allow additional storage of
4 billion m 3 of water. This water will be used to irrigate
about 1.5 million hectares of land in the eastern part of
the country which includes two schemes of Kenana and
Rahad canals. Rough estimations indicate that each
canal may provide 20 MW of small hydropower
capacity.
At the same time, two new dams are currently under
construction at Upper Atbara and Setatit in eastern
Sudan with a total capacity of 320 MW. The dams will
also irrigate over one million hectares of land
downstream and for that two giant canals will be
constructed, each with one small hydropower plant with
a capacity of 15 MW. Two Chinese companies, China
Three Gorges Corporation (CTGC) and China Water and
Electric Corporation (CWE), were contracted for the
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