Off-Grid Renewable Energy Solutions for Electricity Generation in South Sudan

Abstract

South Sudan, Africa’s newest country, has the lowest electrification rate in the world. About 93% of the population lacks access to reliable electricity, particularly in rural communities where over 80% of people live. South Sudan is planning to improve the situation by building a national electrical grid, rehabilitation of available diesel power plants, and the development of large hydropower projects. However, challenges of grid extension to rural areas as well as the capital-intensive and lengthy nature of hydropower projects, may hinder these plans. So, the aim of this research was to investigate the technical and economic feasibility of off-grid renewable energy systems as an immediate, sustainable and cost-effective solution to low electricity access in rural and peri-urban areas of South Sudan. The research aim was achieved in three stages. In the first stage, required data were gathered through solar, wind and small hydropower (SHP) resource assessments using satellite and reanalysis data, Geographic Information System (GIS) and hydrologic modeling. In the second stage, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), was used to select the best off-grid system based on the available renewable energy resources in each location. The third and final stage involved developing a techno-economic model of the selected off-grid system, using IEEE standards and HOMER software. The techno-economic model was used to assess the feasibility of the off-grid system compared to diesel generation. The research findings revealed the availability of renewable resources all over South Sudan, particularly high solar potential in the northwest, wind energy in the northeastern parts, and SHP resources in the southern parts. Stand-alone solar PV emerged as the optimal off-grid system for rural and peri-urban areas of the country. These findings will significantly impact the development of renewable energy in South Sudan and contribute to reducing carbon emissions and improving energy access in the country. The main recommendations made for future work included considering PV shading and load variability, alternative battery types, and solar PV’s recycling and disposal costs in techno- economic analysis. Future research should also consider other renewable energy systems, such as stand-alone small wind turbines, standalone SHP systems, mini-grids, and hybrid systems.