Republic of Sudan

Upper Atbara and Setit Dams Complex
Loan No: 557 Interest Rate: 2.5 %
Beneficiary: Dams Implementation Unit Grace Period: 7 years
Project Cost: KD 443.7 million Maturity: 25 years
Amount of Loan: KD 50.0 million Repayment: 37 semi-annual installments
Date of Board Approval: - First Installment: 7 years following the first disbursement
Date of Loan Agreement: 2011-03-28 Date of Loan Effectiveness: -

Objectives:

The project aims at regulating and exploiting the Upper Atbara and Setit rivers’ water by constructing two interconnected dams at Rumela and Burdana sites and two hydroelectric power plants, to help foster development of the Eastern Region of the Republic of Sudan through boosting the agriculural production and expanding the hydroelectric power generation capacity. The additional water regulated by the dam’s reservoir will be used to intensify the existing agricultural production in the New Halfa area, presently irrigated from the existing Gashm El-Girba dam, and to develop irrigated agriculture in the Upper Atbara area.

Description:

The project, which is expected to be completed at the begining of the the third quarter of the year 2015, consists of the following major components:

  1. Rumela and Burdana Dams: This includes the construction of two interconnected dams with a total crest length of 13 km and two hydroelectric power plants in a site located 80 km south of the existing Gashm El-Girba dam on the main Atbara river. The two dams will impound a reservoir with a storage capacity of 3.7 billion m3. This component includes:
    1. Construction of Rumela Dam: This includes the construction of an earth fill dam and its appurtenant structures on the Upper Atbara river consisting of an impervious core earth fill dam section across the river, and two homogenous earth fill sections in the river banks with an earth fill dyke in the left bank. The dam, including the dyke, has a crest length of 6.4 km and a width of 10 m, and a maximum height of 55 m above the foundation. The appurtenant structures include a spillway with bottom outlet, a water intake and a hydroelectric power plant. The construction of the dam includes preparatory, civil and hydromechanical works.
    2. Construction of Burdana Dam: This includes the construction of an earth fill dam and its appurtenant structures on the Setit river consisting of an impervious core earth fill dam section across the river, and two homogenous earth fill sections in the river banks with an earth fill dyke, in the right bank. The dam, including the dyke, has a crest length of 6.6 km and a width of 10 m, and a maximum height of 50 m above the foundation. The appurtenant structures include a spillway with bottom outlet, a water intake and a hydroelectric power plant. The construction of the dam includes preparatory, civil and hydromechanical works.
  2. Hydroelectric and Electric Works:
    1. Rumela Power Plant: This includes a 320 MW hydroelectric power plant consisting of four identical vertical Kaplan turbines, with a rated capacity of 80 MW each and a head of 40 m, a flow rate of 250 m3/s, and four generators. It also includes four power transformers and an auxiliary transformer, a 220 kV switchyard, control and protection systems, and other accessories, along with a double circuit 33 kV transmission line to link the Burdana plant to the Rumela plant.
    2. Burdana Power Plant:This includes a 15 MW hydroelectric power plant consisting of three Kaplan tubular turbines with a rated capacity of 5 MW each, and a head of 13 m, a flow rate of 60 m3/s, and three generators. It also includes step-up transformers, one auxiliary transformer, a medium voltage switchyard, control and protection systems, and accessories.
  3. Technical Services: This includes the consultancy services required to review previous studies and designs, and the preparation of detailed design and construction drawings for Rumela and Burdana dams with the two power plants, as well as supervision of project construction.
  4. Land Expropriation and Resettlement: This includes land acquisition, compensation for properties, and resettlement of 138 thousand inhabitants affected by the construction of the project.
  5. Project Management: This includes the establishment of a project management unit within the Dams Implementation Unit, which will administer the implementation of the project.

Financing:

The Arab Fund’s loan covers about 11% of the total project cost. The Governments of Algeria and China contribute to the financing of the project with loans equivalent to about KD 24.3 million (about 5%) and KD 29.2 million (about 7%), respectively. It is also expected that Arab financial institutions will contribute to the financing of the project. The Government of Sudan will cover the remaining cost of the project and any additional cost that may arise.