Republic of Sudan

Construction of a 500 kV Transmission Ring Around Khartoum
Loan No: 667 Interest Rate: 2.0 %
Beneficiary: Sudanese Electricity Transmission Company (SETCO) Grace Period: 7 years
Project Cost: KD 69.0 million Maturity: 30 years
Amount of Loan: KD 60.0 million Repayment: 47 semi-annual installments
Date of Board Approval: 2019-04-25 First Installment: 7 years following the first disbursement
Date of Loan Agreement: 2019-04-25 Date of Loan Effectiveness: -

Objectives:

The project aims at evacuating the energy that is expected to be produced from the under-construction and planned power plants in the city of Khartoum and its suburbs, absorbing the energy that will be imported from the Ethiopian grid, and reducing the losses and current bottlenecks in the Sudanese transmission network. This will be accomplished through the construction of a 500 kV transmission ring around Khartoum.

Description:

The project, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2021, includes the expansion of two existing 500 kV substations, and the construction of a new substation and transmission line, on the same voltage, to form a closed loop around Khartoum. The project also includes the modernization of the existing National Control Center, along with the provision of technical services necessary for the execution of the project.

The project comprises the following main components:

  1. Substations:This includes the expansion of the existing El Kabbashi and El Markheyat 500 kV substations, and the construction of El-Bagir substation, on the same voltage, including all necessary civil works, and measurement, protection, control and communications equipment.
  2. Transmission Line:This includes the conversion of the existing 36 km 500 kV El Kabbashi – El Markheyat transmission line from single circuit to double circuit, and the construction of a 500 kV, 225 km long, double circuit transmission line that starts in El Markheyat substation, passes through Jabal El Awlia and El Bagir substations, and ends up in El Kabbashi substation.
  3. Modernization of the National Control Center:This includes the replacement of the computers, file servers, software and the main display screen with modern ones in order to ensure that the Center continues to reliably monitor and control the operation of the network. It also includes the training of the technical staff in the Center.
  4. Technical Services:This includes the consultancy services required for tender evaluation, design review, supervision of construction works and equipment manufacturing, and witness testing for network modernization works, along with the consultancy services necessary for the modernization of the National Control Center, including the supervision of such works.

Financing:

The Arab Fund’s loan covers about 87% of the total project cost. The Sudanese Government will cover the remaining cost of the project and any additional cost that may arise.