Republic of Sudan

Upper Atbara and Setit Dams Complex(Supplementary Loan)
Loan No: 591 Interest Rate: 2.5 %
Beneficiary: Dams Implementation Unit Grace Period: 5 years
Project Cost: KD 512.6 million Maturity: 25 years
Amount of Loan: KD 30.0 million Repayment: 41 semi-annual installments
Date of Board Approval: - First Installment: 5 years following the first disbursement
Date of Loan Agreement: 1900-01-01 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 a hydroelectric power plant, to help the development of the Eastern Region of the Republic of Sudan, through boosting the agricultural production, expanding the hydroelectric power generation capacity, as well as increasing the supply of drinking water. The additional water regulated by the dams’ reservoir will be used to intensify the existing agricultural production for 190 thousand hectares in the New Halfa area, presently irrigated from Gashm El-Girba dam, to develop irrigated agriculture for 280 thousand hectares in the Upper Atbara area, to generate electricity, estimated annually at 843 GWh, and to supply drinking water to the city of Gadaref and neighbouring villages.

Description:

The project, which is expected to be completed at the end of the third quarter of 2016, consists of the following main components:

  1. Rumela and Burdana Dams: This includes the construction of two interconnected dams with a total crest length of 13 km, and a hydroelectric power plant 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, as well as an additional water intake. 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. The construction of the dam includes preparatory, civil and hydromechanical works. .
  2. Hydroelectric and Electric Works: This includes the acquisition and installation of a 320 MW hydroelectric power plant consisting of 4 identical vertical Kaplan turbines, with a rated capacity of 80 MW each and an average head of 34 m, a flow rate of 250 m3/s, four generators, power transformers and an auxiliary transformer, a 220 kV switchyard, and measurement, protection, and control systems, and other auxiliaries and accessories. It also includes acquisition and installation of equipment needed for evacuating the generated power through a double circuit 220 kV transmission line, 28 km long, to Al-Showak substation.
  3. Technical Services: This includes consultancy services required to review previous studies and designs, 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 supplementary loan, along with the previous two Arab Fund’s loans (No. 557/2010 and No. 566/2011) cover about 22% of the total project cost. The Government of Algeria, the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, the Saudi Fund for Development, the Islamic Development Bank and the OPEC Fund for International Development, contributed to the financing of the project with loans equivalent to about KD 175 million, representing about 34% of the total project cost. The Government of Sudan will cover the remaining cost of the project and any additional cost that may arise.