Challenges and solutions to electricity service in Juba city

 

By Ater Yuot R. Amogpai

Juba with a population of about 500,000 hundred thousand is facing challenges to build a sustainable and reliable electricity service. The previously installed capacity of electric power was only 12 MW which was characterized by poor infrastructures, frequent power breaks, lack of spare parts, and lack of technical persons. However, this amount (12 MW) of electric power must be increased to at least 80 MW to match the increasing demand for electricity in Juba.

On November 21, 2019, a breakthrough occurred when a 100 MW Juba Diesel Power Plant launched by the President of the Republic Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit will supply electricity to Juba and other surrounding areas. The Plant which started its construction at the Gondokoro area of the eastern Nile in 2017 will first supply 33 MW before completion in 2021 by Eritrean Ezra Construction and Development Group Company.

For the first time since Independence in July 2011, Juba will have power girds to distribute electricity to customers. Juba Electricity Distribution Company (JEDCO) and Ezra as well as the South Sudan Electricity Corporation (SSEC) collectively operating Juba's new grid. Therefore, access to electricity service has gradually improved and increased to 5%. The two projects, Juba Power Plant and Distribution Grid cost more than 300 million. Since the Juba Power Plant project still under construction Ezra will continue to operate it for the next 17 years starting from November 2019.

 

However, in May 2020 electricity service started facing problems to supply power to street lights in Juba city. It has become clear that the JEDCO informed Juba City Council to pay the bill for the street lights. The action was not immediately made as the discussion took long on who should pay the bill. In January 2021, Ezra Construction and Development Group has planned to shut down Power Plant if the amount of USD 3 million does not transfer to their account by the Central Bank. Again, Ezra repeated the same strategy in April 2021.

According to Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), Ezra to sell generated power to JEDCO, and in turn, JEDCO sells electricity to customers in South Sudanese Pound (SSP). To sustain plant operation, the SSP collected by JEDCO should be converted to USD through the Central Bank. Unfortunately, the implementation of the agreement did not go well between Ezra, the ministry of finance, and the Central Bank.

Several hydropower sites along the way from Nimule to Juba have been identified to generate sustainable and reliable electricity services. To mention some, Fula can generate more than 1000 MW, Bedden can generate more than 700 MW and Lekki can generate more than 400 MW. To help resolve electricity poverty in Juba, the Juba barrage hydropower site about 5 km South of Juba city can generate 120 MW, which is quite enough to gradually phase out the unsustainable thermal electricity generation.

120 MW hydropower power plant can roughly cost USD 250 compared to USD 300 estimated cost to build Ezra 100 MW Diesel Power Plant. Running water and turbine will replace costly diesel fuel and expensive diesel engines respectively. The benefits of hydropower generation against thermal (diesel) generation are clear and easy to understand. They include the lowest operation and maintenance cost, flood control, irrigation, water supply, fish production, and generate power directly to the grid.

It would be a very interesting decision to place electricity service at the same level with roads network in the country. The proposed Juba hydropower plant project will not come true unless a budget is allocated to execute it. I believe it's possible, let's light up South Sudan with our own money and expertise. However, I wonder, how and where to get the fund?

E-mail: ater.amogpai@gmail.com