Sudan
Feasibility
Study
PV-Powered Water Pumps
Team: Suad Badri, Monique Fritz, Scott Kresie, Munazza Naqvi
Course: D-Lab I
I. Introduction and Background
Introduction
This report summarizes the efforts carried out by our team for the project that focused on the
maintenance and replication of the network of solar water pumps in Bara, Sudan. It’s a rural collection
of villages in North Kurdufan, central Sudan which is in the northeastern part of Africa. Water availability
for daily purposes i.e. drinking, cleaning and irrigation purposes were identified as a huge problem in
this area. Women bear the brunt of the problem. They endure traveling long distances to collect water,
and waiting in long queues for extensive periods of time. Pre-existing solar pumps installed by agencies
such as the Swedish-Sudanese Partnership, helped reduce this burden; however, there is still a large
scope of work to be done to increase the number of solar water pumps in order to improve the quality
of life for these people.
In this context, we researched past efforts undertaken for the establishment of solar water pumps
thoroughly. Our initial client, Dr. Nourallah Bakhiet, a senior official with the National Energy Centre,
provided us with some useful information in this regard. Our group inquired about the major factors and
barriers involved in expanding the network of existing solar water pumps which would in-part enable us
to come up with a tangible recommendation for improving access to water for the communities of this
area. We eventually learned that the most critical barriers hampering the establishment of more pumps
in the area are financial and technical in nature.
Background
Sudan is one of the largest countries within the African continent, with a tropical climate and an area of
approximately 106 square miles. This large area enjoys a variety of climates, from desert regions in the
north to tropical in the south, which makes it a favorable environment for all activities of integrated
agricultural investment, from production to processing industries. The total population is 37.2 million.
The annual growth rate is 2.8% and population density is 12 persons per square km.
It is an extremely poor country that has had to deal with social conflict, civil war, and the recent 2011
secession of South Sudan–taking with it three-fourths of Sudan's total oil production. The oil sector had
driven much of Sudan's GDP growth since it began exporting oil in 1999. For nearly a decade, the
economy boomed on increases in oil production, high oil prices, and significant inflows of foreign direct
investment. Upon South Sudan's secession, Sudan has struggled to maintain economic stability. It is
attempting to generate new sources of revenues, such as from gold mining, while carrying out an
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austerity program to reduce expenditures. Agricultural production continues to employ 80% of the
Sudan workforce. Overall, the lack of basic infrastructure in large areas, and the population’s heavy
reliance on subsistence agriculture in the face of severe climate changes make for a largely economically
vulnerable population.
Energy is an essential factor in development since it stimulates and supports economic growth and
development. After the energy crisis in 1973, it has been realized that fossil fuels, especially oil and
natural gas, are finite in extent, and should be regarded as depleting assets. Since that time the efforts
are oriented towards searching for new sources of energy.
History of PV-Powered Water Pumps in Sudan
As mentioned earlier, Sudan was also affected by the first shock of oil crisis in 1973, which led to the
increase in interest in PV for electricity generation throughout the world including Sudan. Agriculture
was, and still is, primarily dependent on rain-fed irrigation, and secondarily on dielsel powered water
pumps. The irrigation system was also severely affected by the oil crisis. In 1978, EC co-financed
installation of the first PV water pumps in Africa. World Bank/UNDP also launched a Global Solar Water
Pumping program and appointed experts who formed IT Power which was incorporated in 1981.
Drought and violence has taken its toll on water infrastructure in Sudan and with populations
continually shifting due to unrest, planning for water supplies is thrown into further disarray. In order to
strengthen drinking water supplied to communities, a solar powered water pumping initiative was
implemented by the Red Cross in 2009, which supplied some Sudan regions with safe and free access to
drinking water.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has also assisted displaced people by distributing
drinking water by road and installing hand pumps at wells. The ICRC has also implemented solar
powered pumps to supply water in places such as Akobo, situated in the north-east of Jonglei State in
Southern Sudan.
To help alleviate the water stress, the ICRC built a series of water yards where a powerful pump
extracts water from the shallow water table into elevated tanks. Water is then channeled
through pipes to public water distribution points in town. Powering those pumps is energy
intensive and is usually powered by expensive fossil fuels; however, the Red Cross has been
building structures to support 420 solar panels. The solar modules are imported from Germany
2
and transported to Akobo.
The Swedish Sudanese Association (SSA) has also played a vital role within the Bara region, installing and
developing solar water pump technology. The SSA is a friendship society based in Stockholm. In 1983,
the SSA started several development activities in Sudan. In addition to many other interventions, it
embarked on rural development aimed at combating desertification activities in Bara. Several projects
were set up in six (6) villages in the Bara region which concentrated on water provisions, green belt
planting, vegetable production and orchards.
In each village the project provided clean potable water from a manual pump and irrigation water from
a solar pump. Simultaneously a nursery was established and a green belt of Hashab (Acacia Senegal) was
planted, in addition to an orchard and a vegetable garden. To-date, there are six (6) manual pumps, six
(6) irrigation wells with solar pumping sets of design capacity 60,000 liter per hour (a seventh set is kept
as a reserve), ten (10) water tanks of capacity 240,000 liter and piping network of 3,994 meters. In
addition, donations from the SSA also helped to build a number of local facilities such as a school,
library, health center, workshops and store rooms. All water and lighting in each of the aforementioned
facilities are powered by solar energy.
The Problem Statement
The efforts made by various development agencies have helped some of the people of Bara to improve their
lifestyle and access to water. However, the number of solar water pumps is still not sufficient to meet the
requirements of the population located within the region. Donations from SSA are no longer available, which
leaves the communities with a major responsibility to finance these expensive water pumps independently. For
a poor region, this is a tall order, yet this is ultimately the problem for which we are attempting to provide some
solutions.
II. Feasibility Study Methodology
The participatory action research (PAR*) context adopted for this study was highly effective through
building knowledge transfer between two geographically distant groups. The knowledge seeking end
was represented by the UC-Davis, D-lab group of researchers; while a group of experts/respondents
located at Bara, Sudan were on the other end. The Bara experts come from different backgrounds and
know-how, within a community highly involved in solar water pumping activities, at Northern Kordofan
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State, Sudan.
The participatory action research context enabled the Bara group to share their experience through
reiterate interviews. Bara group included the following members, directly or indirectly linked to the
water pumping activity:
1) Dr. Nouralla Bakheit; Energy specialist with the Energy Research Center
2) Ms. Nadra Ayeuob; Sudanese-Swedish Association
3) Mr. Mekki Younis; Head of Water Pumping Committee, Foja village NE Bara
4) Mr. Abdallah Alnour; Head of Micro-Credit Unit, Sudanese Savings Bank, Bara Branch
5) Mr. Ahmed Nouri; Head of Bara Agriculture and Ranges Department
6) Mr. Al Mahi Abaker; Chief Engineer/Owner of Kordofan Group for Solar Work & Engineering
Services
Based on the dynamic knowledge transfer capacity, the process was extremely mobilized. Although
there were a number of setbacks along the way, among others; the primary project client quit the
process mid-way with significantly delayed communication. This prompted the D-lab group to reiterate
their research base, looking for wider-ranged client criteria. All parties involved were eventually
confident that the process was successful and flexible enough to encompass the overall dimensions
required for the knowledge transfer involved. A wealth of knowledge base accumulated throughout the
process on different development angles, including social, economic and environmental facts of the
study area.
Questions were raised, answers were vigorously analyzed, comparisons with parallel world-wide
experiences were made, and conclusions were finally reached. Both parties will put what they have
learned to good use.
Because of the short research duration and the geographical challenges, adjustments to the process
were necessarily made. The starting point was less focused, with different localized sub-activities
drawing the attention of the group of researchers. Later far focused approaches were employed, leading
to deeper and wider-based knowledge transfer process, encompassing multi-sectors and diversified
stakeholder settings. Different actors eventually were under investigation; including local microfinance
institutions, farming groups, entrepreneurs, NGOs and government departments. There was a wealth of
data, and that called for basic adjustments that in turn have led the D-Lab researchers to mobilize the
4
actors for shifting the research process to assume more focused targets. Advancement in
telecommunications narrowed the distances and made it possible for keeping good track of immediate
follow-ups.
*Participatory Action Research: Action research is a method for yielding simultaneous action and
research outcomes, and is usually participative. It interacts and adapts to a particular situation,
achieving adequate rigor within a reflective spiral. Each turn of the spiral integrates theory and practice,
understanding and action, and informs the next turn. Action research is more applicable than
mainstream research methods in situations requiring responsiveness and flexibility and action. Hence,
more relevant for practitioners.
III. Evaluating through the Four (4) Lenses
The Economic Lense
The goal of this lense is to assess the affordability of a PV-powered water pump system, and the
financing options available to the residents of the Bara community. To do so, we researched life in Bara
in terms of education, employment (opportunities), income and household spending, as well as various
aspects of life in the region. Unless otherwise sited, all data specific to Bara in this section was derived
from the World Food Programme (WFP) Comprehensive Food Security Assessment: SUDAN North
Kordofan Report, dated August 2013 (data collected in April 2012). [1]
Family Size: There are 6.4 members in a Bara household, none are considered nomadic.
Homes: 90% live in thatch homes, 9% in mud/mud brick, 1% in other. Land, homes, pastureland,
forestland, water and wildlife resources are largely communally owned in North Kordofan. [2]
Education: 50% of Bara head of households have no education, 42% primary (up to 4th grade), 7%
secondary, and 1.5% attended University.
Income & Household Spending: On average, residents
spend 60% of their income buying water to drink, cook,
and to bath, and in Bara they spend 40% on food alone. A
high-level breakout of Bara’s income sources is shown in
the Figure to the right. Interestingly, 15% of Bara
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household’s incomes are based on remittances (perhaps from the male head of households going off to
work at mines and gum harvesting).
Drinking Water Sources: 56% get drinking water from borehole with hand pump/engine, 15% from
unprotected well/spring, 12% protected dug well/spring, 8% tanker truck and 8% public tap.
Food: Overall, a relatively small percentage of households across North Kordofan state receive food aid.
Most of the food assistance programs are through school feeding or food for work/training activities.
The 2012 cost of one minimum healthy food basket (MHFB) was 2.26 SDG/person/day in Bara ($0.40
USD), which over 90% of Bara’s residence could afford 1-2 MHFBs per day. The millet harvests give
wealthier people about eight months of staple food consumption, while poorer people have some four
months. Households who work in the gifts, porter, domestic labor, agriculture wage labor, handicraft
and firewood collection have the highest vulnerabilities to chronic food insecurity. Households relying
on the sale of livestock and/or mining have the highest percentages of secure healthy balanced food
consumption lifestyles. Perhaps the margins involved in their trades afford a more balanced and filling
diet. Income and livelihood diversity, asset wealth, access to agricultural production activities and less
dependency on markets are all main determiners of household food security.
Livestock Ownership: In Bara, 86% of households own a donkey, 76% own sheep and goat herds (on
average 12 animals), 47% own a camel, 14% poultry and less than 1% own cattle.
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Regional Industries & Income-Generating Opportunities
Subsistence Farming: Limited access to credit, distribution and marketing channels, as well as generally
inadequate technical knowledge and poor skills in production and marketing, typically results in farmers
finding it difficult to break out of the cycle of low productivity and income. Seasonal migration of rural
workers in pursuit of wage labor opportunities on mechanized and irrigated farms and in urban areas
has become widespread. [3]
Gold Mining: Gold is Sudan’s most important export earner, and its importance has increased in recent
years due to oil revenue losses. In 2008, this sector accounted for just 1% of export earnings; in 2012, it
has increased to over 40% and is projected to account for 1/3 of Sudan’s total exports in the years to
come. The increase in the export share reflects the sharp rise in its prices and expansion of gold
production. Currently, there are two groups of gold miners in Sudan: (1) five established gold mining
companies, and (2) thousands of small traditional miners.
In 2012, approximately 48 tons of gold was exported, worth $2.2B, with only a small percentage coming
from established gold mining companies. It is estimated that there are thousands of these small
traditional miners, many of which are operating in the remote desert areas of the country including
North Kordofan. Interestingly, the gold sector is estimated to account for less than 0.1% of total tax
revenues in 2011. The IMF suggests the Central Bank of Sudan impose taxes on established gold-mining
companies to help offset the lost tax revenue from oil exports. The Central Bank now buys the gold from
4 gold agents who are licensed to buy gold from the small miners and sell it to the Central Bank. The
Central Bank introduced these arrangements in 2011 for the purposes of controlling foreign currency
reserves and also as a mechanism to reduce the incentive for smuggling by offering small miners a price,
which is better than the price that they would obtain for smuggled gold. A gold refinery has also been
established in Sudan, with the Central Bank holding a 50% interest. [4]
Gum Arabic Harvesting: Gum Arabic, or acacia gum, flourishes due to the natural abundance of Acacia
trees located in Sahel desert region of Sudan. It is used primarily in the manufacture of food, soft drink,
pharmaceuticals, ink and cosmetics. Sudan’s global market share of gum arabic is estimated at 40-80%.
Major importers of gum arabic include: the U.S., U.K., China, India, France and Malaysia. From 2009 to
2011, gum arabic exports have seen a remarkable increase of 120%. In 2011, the country earned $81.8M
from selling 46,000 tons of gum arabic, and the 2013 sales target was 100,000 tons. The production of
gum arabic was once controlled by the Sudanese government, but has recently undergone deregulation
to promote greater income-generating opportunities for the people. [5]
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The livelihoods of one million poor families in Sudan heavily depend on gum arabic. Harvesting gum was
traditionally a man’s job, but thousands of Sudanese women are now receiving training and make up
25% of Gum Associations (10 GAPAs are comprised of all-women). The IFAD’s Gum Arabic Project in
Sudan provides women with intensive training on gum tapping, agroforestry, financial and
organizational management, see Persona Profiles for more details on the impact of gum production in
the life of a rural Sudanese woman and her village. The Revitalizing the Sudan Gum Arabic Production
and Marketing project has supported a rise in average annual incomes by as much as 65%, from ~ $157
USD in 2010 to ~$907 USD in 2011. [6]
Gum Arabic Producers Associations (GAPAs), are a collective organized by the villagers whose aim is to
improve the daily life of the community, they are open to everyone. GAPA members are trained in
harvesting and the harvests are now healthier; sales are up and small farmers can sell their produce
directly to companies without having to rely on middlemen. GAPA members also have access to loans,
which they can repay in installments over time. The country is currently in talks with Chinese companies
to lease them land to grow and harvest their own gum arabic. Gum producers are receiving increased
financing from domestic banks. [7]
A Lesson on Micro-Finance from Kenya
According to our client, micro-financing is a relatively new concept in Sudan. The Gum Associations have
had some success in this space but it does not appear to be a widely accessible option for the majority
of rural Sudanese farmers. Access to financial services are vital, and enable rural smallholder farmers to
take the leap from subsistence farming to market-based farming, increasing their productivity and
income for the long term. The following company in Kenya has had immense success, including a
noteworthy 96% loan repayment rate.
In Kenya, Juhudi Kilimo has provided 100,000 smallholder rural farmers–the majority of them women–
with financial and agribusiness workshops over 2-months, and in-return access to small loans. Farmers
are encouraged to use the loans to buy assets such as dairy cows, seeds and equipment to help them
boost their livelihoods, enabling them to repay the loans at below market rates. Unlike traditional
microfinance, which primarily provides loans for working capital to informal businesses, Juhudi finances
specific agricultural assets that offer immediate and sustainable income for farmers. The assets act as an
alternative form of collateral in case of default, reducing the farmers' risk of greater poverty through
indebtedness, and assets are insured which protects borrowers from harsh business losses. This
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comprehensive approach creates long-term gains in productivity and local engines of economic growth.
[8]
PERSONA DEVELOPMENT: Independent Gum Arabic Farmer
Mrs. Hussein is a 42 year-old married mother of two who
lives in Demira, a remote Sudanese village located 900km
from the capital. One day she was listening to the radio
and heard a talk about microfinance and Gum arabic
Producers Associations (GAPAs). She sought out more
information on how to form a GAPA, which included
signing up a mass of participants, determining the size of
the local area still covered by gum trees, and opening a
bank account. She is now the founding President of
Demira’s GAPAs, which started with only 50 women in her village, and has since grown to 190 members.
The group collectively received $20K in credit (which was disbursed among all members). Mrs. Hussein
received agro-business training from GAPA as well as experience in both trade and community
organizing. She has since purchased a piece of land, built a house, and received a loan for a tractor so
she can grow her own food. Her brother, Hamed, is a small farmer who admits that just a few years ago,
“Harvesting gum arabic didn’t bring enough money. So we began to cut the gum arabic trees to use as
coal for cooking.” Now, this is no longer true, with the profit from the sale of gum arabic Hamed says he
can not only afford to pay a laborer but also afford a donkey cart for his family. Like other GAPAs, Mrs.
Hussein’s GAPA also makes decisions about how to spend the collective funds in ways that benefit the
entire village. MDTF-N provides partial grants for a GAPA, allowing the community to purchase tractors,
gum arabic stores, artesian wells, and water reservoirs. [9]
This persona, is emblematic of the economic power behind community-based collectives with a clear
strategy, resources and training to generate an income/livelihood, access to a free market (Gum Arabic
in this example), and access to non-predatory financial capital to help overcome cycles of poverty. We
found that these are the vital ingredients necessary to help communities thrive independently.
Taking this persona example further, we use Mrs. Hussein’s initial GAPA of 50 women (representing 50
households) to calculate the affordability of a PV-powered water pump by signing up for a community
loan. The Technical Section estimates the total PV-water pump cost at $9,375. Our team firmly believes
9
that together, 50 households (HHs) can reduce their cost of water drastically, by approximately 79%. If
the community organizes and invests collectively, they can immediately improve their quality of life, and
producing savings that they can otherwise invest perhaps in education, agriculture, healthcare, their
community, etc. Below is how we quantify the estimated cost savings of collectively investing in a
shared PV-water pump:
Annual Income –
50-75% live below $1.25/day
(this estimation uses $1.00/day)
Annual H2O expense –
60% of Income spent on H2O
Daily H2O expense –
Potential Future Savings –
Loan Amount: $
Annual Interest Rate:
Current H2O spending
as Individual Households
Future H2O spending
as a Community of 50 Households
$1.00 x 365 days = $365/year
$50.00 x 365 = $18,250/year
60% x $365 = $219/year
$219/365 days = $0.60/day
60% x $18,250 = $10,950/year
($2,250/365 days)/ 50 HHs = $0.12/day
= 79% COST SAVINGS per year
Calculated as follows:
*$2,250/50HH = $45 per HH/year (vs $219)
*$219 - $45 = $174 savings per HH/year
*$174/$219 = 79% Annual HH Savings
9,375
20% Simple Interest Compounded Annually
Loan Term:
Year
5 Years
Loan Amount
Annual Pymt
Mthly Pymt
Amt Due Per
Household
Daily pymt
Loan Balance
Remaining
1 $
11,250
$
2,250
$
187.50
$
6.16
$
0.12
$
9,000
2 $
9,000
$
2,250
$
187.50
$
6.16
$
0.12
$
6,750
3 $
6,750
$
2,250
$
187.50
$
6.16
$
0.12
$
4,500
4 $
4,500
$
2,250
$
187.50
$
6.16
$
0.12
$
2,250
5 $
2,250
$
2,250
$
187.50
$
6.16
$
0.12
$
-
The Social Lense
For centuries, North Kordofan was inhabited by semi-nomadic cattle and camel-raising, settling to
become subsistent farmers during the poor rainy season. The customary land tenure system emphasizes
the right exercised by the native traditional leadership in the allotment of land and the settlement of
disputes, prevalent local customs are considered major sources of the legal system.
The area has had almost continuous drought since the mid-1960s. Deforestation led to the destruction
of the natural vegetation. Several UN organizations intervened, setting up successful “Community-Based
Rangeland Rehabilitation Programs” focusing on empowerment, gender mainstreaming and other
community development aspects. Changing socio-economics conditions affected the infra-structure and
sustainability of succession of those programs, leading to the community failure in due repayments to
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local micro-finance agencies. The deteriorating relationship needs fixing through mediation campaigns
that bring solid reinforcement and reassurance to both parties.
Sudan Bank mandate encourages commercial banks to run micro-finance operations, as linked to Sudan
Poverty Alleviation strategies. The Community is willing to remedy the damaged relationship through
debt management and restructuring-gender-mainstreaming actions. More investors, such as labor
unions are willing to play the field, fitting to their own agenda of development-based and services
investment.
The Environmental Lense
The project focused on the expansion of solar water pumps. The solar water pumps were available
within six communities in the Bara area. Previously, the communities were dependent on diesel pumps
for the extraction of water from pumps. The usage of diesel pumps had economic implications as well as
the communities of this area have low income levels and average annual income in Sudan is close to
poverty line according to the global economic survey. The use of diesel pumps cause air pollution which
affects the health of people who gather and queue beside the water wells to collect water. In the
absence of an alternative like solar water pumps, diesel pumps are the only which is solar of emissions.
Since, the focus of the project was replication of solar pumps through the promotion of micro-financial
mechanisms, the environmental aspect of installation of solar pumps remained a side subject.
The Technical Lense
Since our D-Lab project revolves pumping water, it is important to investigate different pumping
systems. We focused on solar water pumps as an alternative to conventional diesel water pumps. Solar
pumping is an attractive population because it works in a scattered population distribution like that of
Sudan. It also can pump the most water when it is needed most (when the weather is sunny and dry).
From an environmental standpoint, solar pumps have no greenhouse gas emissions, unlike diesel.
Sudan is also a prime location for harnessing solar energy receiving on average 7 to 11 hours of sunlight
each day with energy totaling 5.6-7.0 kWh/m²/day [10]. This has led to many solar technology projects
in rural areas including solar-powered well pumps. Figure 1 shows the energy conversion steps of a solar
pump. Between 1990 and 2000 approximately 250 PV (photovoltaic) pumps have been installed in
Sudan [11]. These pumps can provide 25m³ of water per day from 20m below the ground and have a
low power requirement (5kW or less). PV pumps can be used to irrigate crops, give water to livestock,
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and provide safe drinking water.
Diesel pumping systems have also been widely used, but the high cost and future expected scarcity of
conventional fuels had led the global interests towards alternative source of energy, such as wind and
solar energy for water pumping solutions. Diesel pumps have advantages such as being able to meet a
demand for water at any time of day as long as there is an available fuel source. They also have a lower
upfront cost than solar pump systems.
However, diesel pumps require more skilled maintenance than solar pumps and have the recurring costs
of fuel. Solar pumps tend to be more cost-effective. As seen in Table 1, it often less than 5 years for the
total cost of solar pumps to break even with diesel pumps, assuming a constant pumping demand.
Figure 1[14]
The villages we have focused on in the Bara region of Sudan each have their own solar pumping system
and consistently consume water at about 20m³/day [13]. They are also pumping from a head¹ of 2535m. Table 2 is from a Namibia case study and shows the number of years for the cost of a solar
pumping system to break even with a diesel pump system. Table 1 would estimate about one year for a
solar pumping system to cost as much as a diesel powered system. The data from Table 2 assumes
optimal solar and diesel pump systems with constant water demand. Despite these assumptions, the
break-even time would still be fairly low based on the needs of the village in Bara.
Because of the water demand for each pump and adequate solar radiation of the region, solar pumps
are the logical choice as being more cost effective than diesel. This is why we did not look into
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alternative pumping strategies and decided to work with the current systems that have already been
installed and have been in use for several years.
Table 2
This table shows the amount of time (years) until the cost of solar pumps systems break even with
diesel pump systems from a Namibia case study. [12]
Suad Badri contacted multiple individuals in the Bara region including a local engineer named Almahi
Abaker Ali Adam1. He knew the current situation of water pumping in the villages where solar pumps are
installed. The current pumping units in select villages in Bara include a Grundfos submersible pump,
inverter, and an array of 8 solar panels that can output between .3kW and 2.8kW of power. They are
capable of pumping 50m³ of water per day. The upfront cost of one of these units is $9,375 with an
estimated 30 year lifetime. He also gave us cost estimates on diesel pumping units which have a five
year lifetime and cost $420 with an additional $1,250 per year for fuel costs. These diesel costs do not
include yearly part replacement costs. From this data, the time for the costs to break-even for the solar
and diesel units is just under 7 years. Comparing to the 30 year solar pump unit lifetime, the total cost
for using diesel with a replacement diesel unit every five year is $40,020, over four times as expensive of
the estimated cost for a solar pump unit.
$420
𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑙 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡
× 2 𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑙 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑠 = $840  This assumes a break-even time between 5-10 years
$9375−$840
$1250 𝑓𝑢𝑒𝑙/𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟
1
= 6.8 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑘 − 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 This leaves out operation and maintenance costs for
Almahi Abaker Ali Adam: Chief Engineer and owner of Kordofan Group for Solar Work and Engineering
Services. Contact: Elmahi_solar9@yahoo.com
13
solar and diesel pumps. However, it is likely that O&M costs are comparable or less for solar since solar
requires fewer replacement costs over 30 years.
1 𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑙 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡
5 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑠
30 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑠 × [(
×
$420
$1250 𝑖𝑛 𝑓𝑢𝑒𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑠
)+
]
𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑙 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡
𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟
= $40020
IV. Challenges
We faced a number of challenges while working on this project. First was that the scope of the project
was too wide and vague. In order to identify and specify our problem statement, we had a do a
considerable amount of search and seek information from our client. The progress on the development
of problem definition was dependent on the information received from the client. Our client, Mr.
Nourallah Bakhiet , is a senior official in the National Energy Centre based in Khartoum. He has a busy
schedule and we struggled to contact him and acquiring the information that we needed. Although, he
has a lot of information and knowledge about the area and about the problem, we needed information
from someone who had much closer contact with the Bara area, like a resident for example. Our team
member, Suad Badri, had to make special efforts in contacting people who are residing in Bara and who
could provide us with requested information.
In hindsight, Mr. Nourallah Bakhiet was helpful, but was probably not the right client for our project. A
client in the Bara community or in very close contact with the community would have improved the
project outcome as a whole.
V. Next steps
The path forward for sustaining and expanding solar pumping in the area requires a short and long-term
strategy. We have compiled a comprehensive strategy of necessary approaches with the goal of
creating a plan that meets the needs of all stakeholders involved in this effort, from residents to those
who will provide financing options for them.
Short term: The community needs to mend its relationship with the micro-finance lending facilities, and
build financial innovative skills, through:
(1) Strengthen women's leadership within the villages committees, as lending facilities trust women
clients more.
(2) Capacity building of business and other technical skills, as well as risk mitigation.
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Long term: Develop an R&D backup system, through:
(1) Recruiting technical support for the villages committees, from local businesses, NGOs, and
government departments.
(2) Building links with local and national research centers, within universities and industry.
(3) Recruiting younger village generation, college students as interns.
(4) Leverage diverse collateral, incentivize savings and group collective schemes
(5) Build trust with the community, through gender mainstreaming and women leadership
(6) Mobilize private investment and diversified finance
(7) Provision of livestock loans through Farmers to Markets (F2M) initiatives and introduction of
livestock restocking projects
(8) Mend the financing gap to cover maintenance and operation and expanding the system
(9) Build local technical capacity; entrepreneurship, engineering, and agriculture
(10) Provision of training on handicrafts, agriculture, livestock and natural resource preservation (i.e.
planting of Gum Arabic trees)
(11) Build R&D support through linking with research centres and internships
VI. References
(1) World Food Programme (WFP) Comprehensive Food Security Assessment: SUDAN North Kordofan Report,
dtd. August 2013 (data collected in April 2012).
Link: http://documents.wfp.org/stellent/groups/public/documents/ena/wfp259236.pdf
(2) Communal Land Rights and Peace-Building in North Kordofan: Policy and Legislative Challenges by
Mustafa Babiker, dtd. 2008. Link: http://www.cmi.no/sudan/doc/?id=966
(3) IFAD Rural Poverty Portal Report.
Link: http://www.ruralpovertyportal.org/country/home/tags/sudan
(4) International Monetary Fund (IMF) Report # 13/320– SUDAN Selected Issues, dtd. October 2013. Link:
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/scr/2013/cr13320.pdf
(5) IFAD Revitalizing Sudan Gum Arabic Production & Marketing Project, dtd. 2009.
Link: http://operations.ifad.org/web/ifad/operations/country/project/tags/sudan/1476/documents
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(6) Multi-Donor Trust Fund-National (MDTF-N)
(7) Bloomberg News Article, “Sudan Boosts Gum-Arabic Exports 20% as Far East Demand Grows” dtd. March
15, 2013. Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-03-14/sudan-to-boost-gum-arabic-exports-20-onhigher-far-east-demand.html
(8) Juhudi Kilimo: http://www.juhudikilimo.com/juhudi.php?id=3
(9) Youtube – Gum Arabic: Sudan’s Hot Commodity. Link: http://youtu.be/Ov5JRyBhQY
(10) Omer, Abdeen Mustafa. "Sudan Energy Background; An Overview." Renewable Energy 14.1-4 (1998): 46772. Print.
(11) Omer, Abdeen Mustafa. "Solar water pumping clean water for Sudan rural areas."
Renewable Energy 24 (2001): 245-258. Print.
(12) Ramos, J.S., and Helena M. Ramos. "Solar Powered Pumps to Supply Water for Rural or Isolated Zones: A
Case Study." Energy for Sustainable Development 13.3 (2009): 151-58. Print.
(13) Swedish Sudanese Association Database
(14) Hamza, Ali A., and Azmi Z. Taha. "Performance of Submersible PV Solar Pumping Systems under
Conditions in the Sudan." Renewable Energy 6.5-6 (1995): 491-95. Print.
(15) UNDP/GEF, Barrier Removal To Secure PV Market Penetration In Semi-Urban Sudan
(16) A.M. Omer, 2001, Overview of renewable energy sources in the Republic of the Sudan
(17) Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bara,_Sudan
(18) United Nations Development Programme: http://mirror.undp.org/sudan/story%20Bara.htm
(19) UNEP http://www.unep.org/dewa/Portals/67/pdf/Nile_Basin.pdf
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