South Sudan has launched its first solar power plant with battery storage. The 20-megawatt (MW) solar plant and the 14-megawatt-hour (MWh) Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) were developed by a private company. The project was financed and built by the company’s construction and development subsidiary.
The plant is located in Gondokoro, near Juba. It is expected to supply electricity to up to 16,000 households. The battery storage system will help stabilize the grid by storing excess solar energy for use when needed.
The plant will add renewable energy to the country’s electricity supply. South Sudan’s grid mainly relies on thermal power, which runs on imported fuel. The new solar plant will reduce dependence on fuel imports and lower electricity costs.
A public-private partnership manages electricity distribution in Juba. The solar plant contributes about 19% of the total energy supplied by the main distributor. Other renewable energy projects are planned, including a government-owned solar plant in Nisitu.
Several African countries are expanding renewable energy. Sudan has been working on a 500 MW solar power agreement with the United Arab Emirates. Ethiopia has increased its hydroelectric power generation, including the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which has a planned capacity of 6,450 MW. Kenya has wind and geothermal projects, including the 310 MW Lake Turkana Wind Power plant and the 280 MW Olkaria IV geothermal plant. Uganda has added several solar plants, including the 20 MW Soroti Solar Power Station.
South Sudan’s new solar plant is part of a wider effort across Africa to increase renewable energy and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
