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Energy industry in South Sudan
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General State of the Economy

Sudan and South Sudan, situated in east Africa, became independent in July 2011 after a referendum in Southern Sudan. South Sudan is situated in equatorial Africa and has no access to the sea.

Republic of South Sudan /جمهورية السودان
Capital: JubaDensity: 17/km2Currency: South Sudanese pound (SSP)
Official languages: EnglishLife expectancy at birth: 55.57 yearsGDP (PPP): $13.6 billion (2022 est.)
National Day: July 9Area: 658,841 km2GDP - per capita (PPP): $934 (2022 est.)
Population: 11,088,796 (2023)Coastline: 0 kmInternet country code: .ss

Source: [1,2,3,4,5]

According to 2023 statistics, South Sudan, which is 43rd in terms of the size of the territory, is home to more than 11 million people, and according to the population density the country is 216th in the world from 248 countries considered [2]. 

Aerial panoramic view of Juba, capital of South Sudan. Envato Elements. BSA8TKYE5D

The economy of country is based on oil exports. For the majority of the selected indices South Sudan are either not represented or are at the bottom of the diagram (Fig. 1).

 Sources:
1. GDP (purchasing power parity), 2020 est. / The World Factbook/Library/Central Intelligence Agency *228
2. GDP - per capita (PPP), 2020 / The World Factbook/Library/Central Intelligence Agency *229
3. Inflation rate (consumer prices), 2019 est. / The World Factbook/Library/Central Intelligence Agency *228
4. Charges for the use of intellectual property, receipts (BoP, current US$), 2020 / International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook, and data files. / License: CC BY-4.0 *88
5. The Global Competitiveness Index 2019 / Rankings / Reports / World Economic Forum *141
6. High-technology exports (current US$) 2019-2020 / United Nations, Comtrade database through the WITS platform / License: CCBY-4.0 / Data *134
7. 2021 Index of Economic Freedom / International Economies / The Heritage Foundation *178
8. Reserves of foreign exchange and gold, 2017 est. / The World Factbook / Library / Central Intelligence Agency *195
9. Annual average GDP growth in %, for the last 10 years (2011-2020) / World Bank national accounts data, and OECD National Accounts data files / License: CC BY-4.0  *206
10. Public debt (% of GDP), 2017 est. / The World Factbook / Library / Central Intelligence Agency
(from smallest to largest) *210
  * Total number of countries participating in ranking


Figure 1. Economic Indices of South Sudan
 

GDP at purchasing power parity in South Sudan is $7.743 billion in 2023, with a steady decline in GDP observed over recent years [3,4]. South Sudan GDP at purchasing power parity per capita has been steadily declining over the past 10 years, reaching $516 in 2023 [3,5].  Inflation in South Sudan in 2023 reached 40.2% [3].

Energy Resources

In South Sudan main energy resource is oil, according to [10], oil reserves in 2024 were estimated to be 3.75 billion barrels.  Country do not consume and do not produce gas and coal.

  Table 1. Energy resources of South Sudan

Resource /
Explanations
Crude oil*
 
Natural gas
 
Coal
 
Solar Potential
(GHI)**
Wind Potential
(50 м)**
Hydro energy
Potential
Municipal Solid
Waste
Value3.75(0.22%)--5.5-6.0<5.0-0.64
Unitbillion barrels--kWh/m2/daym/s-kg/per capita/day
Year2021--20202020-2016
Source[10][-]-[7][8][-][9]

*share of the country’s reserves in world total is provided in brackets
**for most of the territory of the country


South Sudan have potential for renewable energy development (Table 1). The level of global horizontal solar radiation in most of the country is quite high and has a value of 5.5-6.0 kWh/m2/day. Wind speeds across most of the country are less than 5.0 m/s. The level of generation of municipal waste in South Sudan was 0.64 kg per capita per day.

SOUTH SUDAN, JUBA
Latitude: 4.87, Longitude: 31.6


Average daily sky coverage over 10 years of observations, %

CLR - clear, SCT - scattered from 1/8 TO 4/8, BKN - broken from 5/8 TO 7/8, OVC - overcast, OBS - obscured, POB - partial obscuration

Source: based on NOAA U.S. Department of Commerce
Detailed information:
 Interactive map of solar resources

SOUTH SUDAN, JUBA
Latitude: 4.87, Longitude: 31.6
Average speed: 4.55 m/s, Operational share: 81%

Average daily wind speed for 10 years of observations, m/s, 10 m above the ground

Source: based on NOAA U.S. Department of Commerce
Detailed information: Interactive map of wind resources  

Energy Balance

As noted above South Sudan do not consume and do not produce gas; associated petroleum gas of the oil fields is mostly flared or reinjected.
Oil production in South Sudan, grew rapidly from 2011 and in 2023 it reached the level of 146.2 thousand barrels per day (Figure 2).
According to [6], crude oil production in 2023 was 148 thousand barrels per day. The consumption volume of this resource has remained stable since 2011 and in 2023 amounted to 11.42 thousand barrels per day [10].

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Sep 2024) / www.eia.gov

Figure 2. The production and consumption of fossil fuels in South Sudan (coal – left, in the center – gas, oil – right)

Sudan and South Sudan exported about 125,000 barrels of crude oil per day in 2023, with the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia the main importers [10]. 
Historically, South Sudan have a high share of fossil fuels in electricity production (Fig. 3).

                                                   Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Sep 2024) / www.eia.gov

                                    Figure 3. Electricity production in South Sudan

In 2023 country produced about 0.59 TWh of electricity, of which 93.2% was by fossil fuels and 6.8% by other renewable sources (Fig. 5). Positioning of South Sudan on the diagram of energy indices is shown on Figure 4.

 Sources:
1. Crude oil proved reserves, 2021 / International Energy Statistic/Geography / U.S. Energy Information Administration (Nov 2021)*98
2. Natural gas proved reserves 2021 / International Energy Statistic / Geography / U.S. Energy Information Administration (Nov 2021) *99
3. Total recoverable coal reserves 2019 / International Energy Statistic / Geography / U.S. Energy Information Administration (Nov 2021) *81
4. Combination production-consumption for Crude oil 2018 / International Energy Statistic / Geography / U.S. Energy Information Administration (Nov 2021) *219
5. Combination production-consumption for Natural gas 2019 / International Energy Statistic / Geography / U.S. Energy Information Administration (Nov 2021) *123
6. Combination production-consumption for Coal 2019 / International Energy Statistic / Geography / U.S. Energy Information Administration (Nov 2021) *128
7. Electricity – from other renewable sources (% of total installed capacity), 2017 est. / The World Factbook / Library / Central Intelligence Agency *170
8. GDP per unit of energy use (PPP per unit of oil equivalent), 2020 *66
Primary energy consumption - BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2021/BP;
GDP (purchasing power parity) - The World Factbook/Library/Central Intelligence Agency
9. Energy use (primary energy use of oil equivalent per capita) 2020  *127
Primary energy consumption – BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2021; Population - United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs,
Population Division (2019). World Population Prospects 2019, custom data acquired via website. Retrieved 15 November 2021
*66
10. The Global Energy Architecture Performance Index Report (EAPI) 2017 / Rankings / Reports / World Economic Forum
11. Electric power consumption (kWh per capita), 2016 *217
Electricity Consumption - The World Factbook / Library / Central Intelligence Agency; Population - United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs,
Population Division (2019). World Population Prospects 2019, custom data acquired via website. Retrieved 15 November 2021

12. Combination of electricity production-consumption (kWh)/The World Factbook/Library/Central Intelligence Agency *216

* Total number of countries participating in ranking

Figure 4. Energy indices of South Sudan
 

South Sudan indices, based on reserves of oil and their production-consumption ratio, are higher than the world‘s average. However, other indices look less convincing and show minimal results.

Energy Infrastructure

The main oil fields in South Sudan are situated in Muglat basins (blocks 1, block 5A) and Melut (blocks 3 and 7) on the border between the countries (Figure 5). Up until 2011, oil exploration was carried out mainly in the central region, due to civil unrest [10].

Figure 5. Basic Infrastructure facilities of the fossil fuel sector in South Sudan (click on the map to view a PDF version)

Petroleum industry in South Sudan is represented by Bentiu oil refinery in Unity State.
Country is considering the construction of an export crude oil pipeline which will bypass the current route through Sudan. Construction plans were discussed with the authorities in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Djibouti. Thus, it is possible to build a pipeline to a Kenyan port of Lamu or to the port of Djibouti through Ethiopia [11].
Fossil fuel power generation in South Sudan is represented by the Kuku Oil Power Plant with an installed capacity of 23 MW (Figure 6).

Figure 6. Basic Infrastructure facilities of the electricity and renewable energy in South Sudan (click on the map to view a PDF version)

The North South Transmission Line Project involves the construction of high-voltage transmission lines, with capacity from 3 000 to 17 000 MW from Egypt through Sudan, South Sudan and other African countries [12]. There is also a project to construct four large hydroelectric power stations on the territory of Southern Sudan, including Shukoli Dam (Figure 6) [13].

As mentioned earlier, the level of global horizontal solar radiation can reach over 6.0 kWh/m2 per day, and the level of wind speed less than 5.0 m/sec, which is a good resource for the production of energy [7, 8]. However, as already mentioned, this resource has not been actively capitalized. In Figure 6 you can see renewable energy projects among which is  Juba Solar Power Plant, with an installed capacity of 26 MW [14].

Juba Solar Power Station, 20 MW. South Sudan

Education and Innovation

The following data on education and innovation has a significant effect on the future development of South Sudan energy (Figure 7). 
 

 Sources:
1. The Global Innovation Index 2021, Rankings / Knowledge / World Intellectual Property Organization / Cornell University, INSEAD, and WIPO (2021):
Energizing the World with Innovation. Ithaca, Fontainebleau, and Geneva *132
2. Patent Grants 2011-2020, resident & abroad / Statistical country profiles / World Intellectual Property Organization *185
3.Patents in Force 2020 / Statistical country profiles / World Intellectual Property Organization *109
4. QS World University Rankings 2022 *97
5. SCImago Country Rankings (1996-2020) / Country rankings / SCImago, (n.d.). SIR-SCImago Journal & Country Rank [Portal]. Retrieved 17 Nov 2021 *240
6. Internet users in 2018 / The World Factbook / Central Intelligence Agency *229
7. Internet users in 2018 (% Population) / The World Factbook / Central Intelligence Agency *229
8. Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP), 2019 / United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Institute for Statistics.
License: CCBY-4.0 / Data as of September 2021*177
9. Research and development expenditure (% of GDP), 2018 / UNESCO Institute for Statistics. License: CCBY-4.0 / Data *119
10. Scientific and technical journal articles, 2018 / National Science Foundation, Science and Engineering Indicators. License: CCBY-4.0 / Data *197
  * Total number of countries participating in ranking


Figure 7. The indices of education and innovation in South Sudan
 

The countries are well positioned when considering the number of publications of specialists in scientific and technological journals placed 94th out of 196 countries considered. It is also highly regarded by the Scimago Journal and Country Rank (100th place).
The University of Khartoum, Sudan University of Science and Technology and the Petro-Energy E&P Co. Ltd. are engaged in research in the field of non-traditional oil production, including directional drilling and hydro-cracking. Research and development in the field of bioenergy and solar energy are being carried out by the Sudan University of Science and Technology. In the field of synthetic fuel development  The University of Blue Nile.

Ecology and Environment Protection

A diagram of environmental indices is shown in Figure 8. According to the data, most of the indicators are in the red zone, indicating that there is an unfavourable ecological situation in both countries, which have high levels of methane emissions and CO2 emissions. There are no positive trends in forest area change, in terms of the ecological footprint on a global scale, South Sudan are debtors.
 

 Sources:
1. CO2 total emission by countries 2020 / European Commission / Joint Research Centre (JRC) / Emission Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR)*208
2. CO2 per capita emission 2020/European Commission/Joint Research Centre (JRC) / Emission Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) *208
3. Forest area 2020 (% of land area) / The Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020 / Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations *234
4. Forest area change 2010-2020 (1000 ha/year) / The Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020 / Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations *234
5. The Environmental Performance Index (EPI) 2020 / Rankings / Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy / Yale University *180
6. Annual freshwater withdrawals (m3 per capita), 2017 *179
Annual freshwater withdrawals, total (billion m3), 2017 – Food and Agriculture Organization, AQUASTAT data. /License: CC BY-4.0; 
Population – United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2019).
World Population Prospects 2019, custom data acquired via website. Retrieved 15 November 2021
7. The National Footprint Accounts 2017 (Biocapacity Credit / Deficit) / Global Footprint Network *188
8. Methane emissions (kt of CO2 equivalent), 2018 / Data for up to 1990 are sourced from Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center, Environmental Sciences Division,
Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tennessee, United States. Data from 1990 are CAIT data: Climate Watch. 2020. GHG Emissions. Washington, DC: World Resources Institute.
Available at: License : Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)  *191
9. The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2022 / Overall Results / Jan Burck, Thea Uhlich, Christoph Bals, Niklas Höhne, Leonardo Nascimento /
Germanwatch, NewClimate Institute & Climate Action Network *60

  * Total number of countries participating in ranking

Figure 8. Environmental Indices of South Sudan
 

According to The Environmental Vulnerability Index, which is based on years of observations and 50 indicators, which include for example, changing climatic characteristics or the quality of water resources, waste volumes, oil spills and other hazardous substances, etc. South Sudan is not included in this ranking.

Dry desert. Envato Elements. QLWJS6G84V

References

[1] List of sovereign states and dependencies by area / Wikipedia / en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sovereign_states_and_dependencies_by_area
[2] List of countries and dependencies by population density / Wikipedia / en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_dependencies_by_population_density
[3] Economy of South Sudan / Wikipedia / en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_South_Sudan
[4] GDP, PPP (current international $) / World Bank, International Comparison Program database. License: CC BY-4.0 / Data / The World Bank / www.worldbank.org
[5] GDP per capita, PPP (current international $) / World Bank, International Comparison Program database. License: CC BY-4.0 / Data / The World Bank / www.worldbank.org
[6]
Statistical Review of World Energy 2024 (PDF) / https://www.energyinst.org/
[7] Solar resource data obtained from the Global Solar Atlas, owned by the World Bank Group and provided by Solargis / Global Solar Atlas / globalsolaratlas.info
[8] Wind Map / Global Wind Atlas 2.0, a free, web-based application developed, owned and operated by the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) in partnership with the World Bank Group, utilizing data provided by Vortex, with funding provided by the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP). For additional information: globalwindatlas.info
[9] World Bank What a Waste / Data / The World Bank / www.worldbank.org
[10]
International Energy Statistic / Geography / U.S. Energy Information Administration / www.eia.gov/beta/international/
[11] South Sudan Considers New Pipeline Route to Boost Oil Exports / OilPrice (September, 2014) / oilprice.com
[12]
Transmission-- North South Transmission Line Project / www.nepad.org/nepad-oncontinent/africa-power-vision-egypt
[13] Technology Needs Assessment Barrier Analysis and Enabling Framework Report for Climate Change Daptation and Mitigation (PDF) / UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre / tech-action.unepccc.org
[14] Juba Solar Power Station / Wikipedia  / en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juba_Solar_Power_Station


The sources of charts and curves are specified under the images.

For more information about the energy industry in South Sudan see here