Solar Energy for Stability: Powering South Sudan for Economic Resilience
THE CHALLENGE
The instability of South Sudan has hindered investment in energy infrastructure, stifling economic development, and increasing poverty. Only costly diesel-based energy sources are available to meet energy needs, however, 80% of South Sudanese live below the poverty line and cannot afford this option. Without reliable and affordable power, businesses, schools, and hospitals cannot effectively provide goods and services to their community.
THE SOLUTION
To tackle energy poverty in South Sudan, SunGate Solar pioneered the deployment of a solar micro-grid to provide reliable 24-hour power to off-grid communities. To test its performance as a localized power generation and distribution network, SunGate Solar installed South Sudan’s first solar microgrid to deliver clean, reliable, and affordable electricity to the community of Wanyjok. In total, the project connected 116 businesses, public institutions, and electric cooking customers to a sustainable electricity supply, and also provided electricity for street lighting. In addition to the direct beneficiaries, thousands of others benefited indirectly from the introduction of these services to their community. Through the customer satisfaction survey, 98% of respondents noted an overall satisfaction with the innovation, 61% of customers highlighted improvements to business operations, and 79% of customers stated that Wanyjok had become a safer place because of the micro-grid service and streetlights. By the end of the CHIC funding period, SunGate Solar had also entered agreements with two state governments for building on the foundation from Wanyjok to build mini-grids and larger metro-grid systems in the respective cities and towns in their regions, creating a promising foundation for innovation scaling.
