Solar Energy for Stability: Powering South Sudan for Economic Resilience

Our innovation addresses the lack of energy access in South Sudan by quickly and affordably meeting the energy needs of communities across the country. The instability of South Sudan has hindered investment in energy infrastructure, stifling economic development, and increasing poverty. As of 2020, only the capital Juba had access to grid power (1% of the population), while the rest of the country has no access. As a result, only costly energy sources such as diesel gensets are available to meet energy needs. However, 80% of South Sudanese live below the poverty line and can not afford to use this solution. Without reliable and affordable power, businesses, schools, and hospitals cannot effectively provide goods and services to their community. We plan to pilot our solution, a solar-hybrid minigrid system that will bring power quickly and cost-effectively to the town of Aweil. This project will be the testbed for the mass-scale deployment of our mini-grids across South Sudan.