Aptech Africa is delighted to announce the successful installation of 26 MW of solar panels in Juba, South Sudan. This project was entirely self-funded by Ezra Construction Company. Since 2011, Aptech Africa has had a steadfast presence in South Sudan and has consistently been the preferred EPC (engineering, procurement, and construction) company for solar installations in the region. The team has managed all aspects of the project, from initial assessment and design to the actual installation of solar panels.
This solar power plant is a grid-connected system integrated with 30 MW of diesel generators and has been completed in two phases, each with 13 MWp. All the panels have been ground-mounted and appropriately oriented at the right tilt and azimuth to maximise sunlight capture. Ulica Solar Panels, specifically 540Wp modules in Phase I and 545Wp models in Phase II, were used. The solar system employs a total of 108 Huawei inverters, each with a capacity of 200 KTL. The solar installation is divided into 4 STS (Smart Transformer Stations), each with a capacity of 6.5 MVA. Two of the STSs are connected with 28 inverters each, and the remaining two are connected with 26 inverters each.
The entire power plant will be remotely monitored through Huawei Fusion Solar, which is installed on site to communicate with all the inverters, STSs, and weather monitoring stations. It provides monitoring of PV-generated power and generator-supplied power, as well as fault detection capability, which assists in early problem solving and prevents future damage to the installed equipment. All of this can be accessed through eu5.fusionsolar.huawei.com and locally through Huawei inverters individually, using USB cables that are compatible with both phones and laptops.
This power plant is significant because the entire city of Juba, South Sudan, relies on the power generated by the Ezra Power Plant. Prior to the installation of the solar system, there were severe load shading issues caused by maintenance problems with the existing diesel generation system. The diesel generation was unable to meet the demand, and the cost of diesel power generation was higher compared to solar power generation.
Due to the expensive nature of outsourcing diesel for power generation, EZRA came up with a solution to invest in renewable energy in order to reduce the cost of diesel generation. The solar plant now operates in conjunction with an existing 30 MW diesel plant, working together to ensure a reliable and cheaper power supply. During the daytime, approximately 30% of the power generation is sourced from the diesel generators to meet the load demand, while the remaining 70% is provided by the solar system. On average, the solar system has been generating between 90 MWh and 120 MWh of power per day.
As a result, the 26 MW solar power plant has successfully reduced the energy demand by approximately 40–70% per day, alleviating load shading issues and providing a more cost-effective alternative to diesel power generation.
Aptech Africa went above and beyond to ensure that the client achieved their goal of having a more reliable and dependable power supply source for their loads by successfully installing and completing the 26 MWp Solar Grid Connected system within the limited timeframe.
The completion of this power plant is now benefiting the entire city by reducing power interruptions and decreasing the cost of energy per unit for consumers. As a result, more than 525,000 residents in Juba, South Sudan, now have improved access to electricity. This increased access is expected to have a positive socio-economic impact on the city, enhancing services for hospitals, schools, and businesses. Ezra Construction Company, as part of its commitment to boosting renewable energy contributions to Juba’s grid, has entirely self-financed this project. Notably, this initiative aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goal 7, which focuses on affordable access to clean energy, as well as Sustainable Development Goal 13, which addresses climate action. Furthermore, this system has the potential to prevent the emission of 9,600 kilogrammes of CO2 per day, equivalent to nearly 3,800 metric tonnes of carbon emissions annually.
