The board of directors of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has approved an African development fund grant of US$ 26m to expand and improve the electricity distribution network in Juba, South Sudan. Only 1% of the population has access to grid electricity located chiefly in the three main cities of Juba, Malakal and Wan. The upgraded and reinforced electricity supply will improve the quality of service provided by the national utility to the public and business enterprises, which could contribute to economic growth and poverty reduction in South Sudan.
The project consists of the construction of a 145km of low voltage lines; 370km of medium-voltage lines as well as the installation of 195 transformer stations and 20 000 prepaid meters for connecting new customers in the region.
h3. Knowledge Transfer
Following the board’s approval, the director of AfDB’s energy, environment and climate change department, Alex Rugamba, said that the “current situation of low level of power generation, coupled with inefficient distribution networks, had adversely affected living standards of the population and restrained business development.” Given that this intervention is the first donor-funded project undertaken by the power utility, South Sudan Electricity Corporation, the project includes a capacity-building component to ensure knowledge transfer in the areas of procurement as well as financial and project management.
With the deployment of the upgraded distribution network, the project will also provide the opportunity for technical staff to receive training.