Sudan Expands Power Production, Prepares for Peaceful Nuclear Energy

A general view shows a section of the plant at the Dar Petroleum Operating Company oil production operated in Palogue oil field within Upper Nile State in South Sudan, September 7, 2016. REUTERS/Jok Solomun REUTERS/Jok Solomun
A general view shows a section of the plant at the Dar Petroleum Operating Company oil production operated in Palogue oil field within Upper Nile State in South Sudan, September 7, 2016. REUTERS/Jok Solomun REUTERS/Jok Solomun
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Sudan Expands Power Production, Prepares for Peaceful Nuclear Energy

A general view shows a section of the plant at the Dar Petroleum Operating Company oil production operated in Palogue oil field within Upper Nile State in South Sudan, September 7, 2016. REUTERS/Jok Solomun REUTERS/Jok Solomun
A general view shows a section of the plant at the Dar Petroleum Operating Company oil production operated in Palogue oil field within Upper Nile State in South Sudan, September 7, 2016. REUTERS/Jok Solomun REUTERS/Jok Solomun

Sudan announced on Wednesday its plans to set up two brand new power plants in the national free zone and Port Sudan just off the Red Sea coast.

Undertook by Germany’s Siemens, both plants are said to produce 850 megawatts and are scheduled to be in service before summer 2018.

Sudan has also announced that the first and second divisions of the three-thousand-megawatts power plant, the Upper Atbara and Setit Dam Complex, are effectively feeding the national grid.

The third unit is currently under construction and the project will be completed by the end of 2017.

Observers predict that the country's power production will double this year with the ongoing expansions.

Sudan is also expected to sign an agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Moscow next month, allowing Khartoum to take full advantage of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, such as electricity production.

Sudan has completed preliminary surveys to locate the nuclear power plant outside Khartoum.

The increase in power demand in Sudan is 14 percent per year against an annual output of 3,000 MW. The country imports from Ethiopia 250 megawatts to meet the growing demand for electricity in the country.

Sudan is currently implementing a plan for 2031 which is aimed at meeting the African country’s growing demand for power, including the construction of dams, combustion plants with petroleum fuels and renewable energies. It lately peruses employing peaceful nuclear plants to upgrade its energy output.

More so, Sudan has taken many steps towards enabling its peaceful nuclear activity program, especially with regard to nuclear safety and security.

A law has been passed to regulate radiation. Under this law, an independent national control body has been established.

Five years ago, Sudan began to make use of nuclear energy for peaceful aims and agreed earlier this year with Russia's Rosatom, a Russian government nuclear power company, to cooperate in this field.



Egypt Makes Progress in its Nuclear Energy Project

Construction work at the El-Dabaa nuclear power plant. (Egyptian Nuclear Power Plants Authority)
Construction work at the El-Dabaa nuclear power plant. (Egyptian Nuclear Power Plants Authority)
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Egypt Makes Progress in its Nuclear Energy Project

Construction work at the El-Dabaa nuclear power plant. (Egyptian Nuclear Power Plants Authority)
Construction work at the El-Dabaa nuclear power plant. (Egyptian Nuclear Power Plants Authority)

Egypt has reported significant progress in the construction of the El-Dabaa nuclear power plant in the country’s northwest, a project being developed in cooperation with Russia. The government announced on Tuesday that more than 20% of the project has been completed.

Egypt and Russia signed a cooperation agreement on November 19, 2015, to establish the nuclear power station at a cost of $25 billion, funded through a Russian government loan. The final agreements for El-Dabaa were signed in December 2017.

The plant will consist of four nuclear reactors with a total generation capacity of 4,800 megawatts, each producing 1,200 megawatts. The first reactor is scheduled to begin operations in 2028, with the remaining units coming online gradually as part of Egypt’s energy mix.

In its quarterly performance report, the Egyptian government stated that the project aligns with efforts to expand the peaceful use of nuclear energy within the national power grid.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi emphasized in November the importance of executing energy projects efficiently and on schedule, calling them a pillar of Egypt’s development strategy. He underscored the need to adhere to the project timeline while ensuring the highest standards of execution and workforce training.

Also in November, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to the project, stating that El-Dabaa would enhance renewable energy capacity and stabilize the national power grid.

In early March, Russia’s Atomstroyexport announced that construction on the second reactor at El-Dabaa had progressed ahead of schedule. According to the Egyptian Nuclear Power Plants Authority, the second tier of the inner containment structure had been installed at the reactor building.

Egypt experienced widespread power outages last summer, which ended in late July after securing sufficient fuel supplies for its power plants.

The El-Dabaa project is part of Egypt’s strategy to diversify its energy sources, generate electricity to meet domestic demand, and reduce reliance on imported gas and other fuels.

On Tuesday, the government also announced an additional 200 megawatts of private-sector solar power capacity as part of its efforts to expand renewable energy. Officials said the move would support energy diversification and advance the country’s sustainable development strategy.