South Sudan - Juba Power Distribution System Rehabilitation and Expansion Project

The proposed operation is a supplementary financing in the form of a loan of UA 10.61 million from the African Development Fund [Transition Support Facility (TSF) Pilar I] to the Republic of South Sudan for the Juba Power Distribution System Rehabilitation and Expansion Project (PDSRE). PDSRE aims at strengthening the distribution networks in Juba to provide reliable electricity supply from existing and future generation facilities and thus satisfy the suppressed load and demand growth in the city. The Bank support is in line with the South Sudan Development Plan (SSDP) and South Sudan Infrastructure Action Plan (SSIAP) both identifying infrastructure as a core priority for South Sudan. The Project consists of the construction of (i) 145 km of 33 kV lines; (ii) 370 km of 415/230 volt lines; (iii) drop lines for 20,000 new customers, (iv) the purchase and installation of 195 transformer stations of 33/0.415 kV; and (v) 20 000 prepaid meters for the newly connected customers. However, in the course of implementation, the project encountered financing gaps mainly due to the high international price rises of equipment and material compared to the project cost estimate during the project appraisal in 2013. The escalated project cost has resulted in a financing gap of UA 10.61 million to complete the construction. This additional resource will enable the completion of the project and the achievement of its development objectives.