Countries

Sudan, officially the Republic of Sudan, is a country in northeastern Africa. It is the largest country in Africa and the Arab world and tenth largest in the world by area. The world's longest river, the Nile, divides the country between east and west sides. Sudan achieved great economic growth by implementing macroeconomic reforms and finally ended a civil war by adopting a new constitution in 2005 with rebel groups in the south, granting them limited autonomy to be followed by a referendum about independence in 2011. Rich in natural resources such as petroleum and crude oil, Sudan's economy is amongst the fastest growing in the world.

The plan is to develop solar energy in regions not linked to the national grid, such as North Darfur. By harnessing clean solar power impoverished Sudan could be setting a global example in a world worried about climate change. Spread across central Africa as the continent's largest country, Sudan plans to exploit the relentless Saharan sun to power its underdeveloped regions and green its deserts. Harnessing the sun's energy for vast regions such as war-torn Darfur, which itself is the size of France, is costly. But the country's ministry of energy and mining believes that advances in solar technology will lower the costs. Marc Benmarraze, chairman of Solar Euromed, said, "Sudan is in the zone known as the solar belt, where there is a direct normal radiation that is one of the world's strongest".

Electrifying rural areas poses unique challenges for African governments. Remote and scattered, rural homes, unlike homes in urban areas, are costly and often impractical to connect to the grid. Under the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), countries are seeking innovative alternatives to give rural families efficient means to cook their food and light their homes. Stand-alone sources of energy, such as solar, wind and mini-hydro generators, can help fill the gap. From “Solar power: cheap energy source for Africa,” author...