Box 2. Energy transitions in Sudan

development plan,77 which has recently become more complicated due to the discovery of significant offshore oil reserves. The loss of oil reserves in Sudan (see box 2) and the political crisis in lebanon demonstrate the value of UNDP having an energy presence in extreme moments of capacity loss, but these have been reactive, mostly small-scale interventions that have not measurably changed the nation’s energy mix. In the evaluation team’s survey, Bosnia and Herzegovina described a huge need for investment in decarbonization in the country and considers UNDP well positioned to grow in this field. Internal interviews demonstrate that staff recognize the risk and opportunity, as well as the challenging energy decisions that are emerging in lower-income countries with fossil-fuel reserves.

BOX 2. Energy transitions in Sudan

Sudan provides a heightened example of energy transitions. A transition to renewable energy and efficient usage became a national priority following the loss of nearly 75 percent of oil reserves with the secession of South Sudan in 2011 and the cost to the economy of replacement oil imports. The country also has an environmental imperative to move to new forms of renewables; since the 1990s, between 70 and 81 percent of the population have relied on firewood for their energy needs, which has led to a significant drop in Sudan’s biomass,78 and its large-scale hydropower production of energy is at threat from climate change. UNDP has worked in the Sudanese national energy sector since the 1990s. Over this period, UNDP has supported several projects within the government’s renewable energy strategy, including solar pumping for agricultural use; a one-megawatt demonstration wind turbine site; and rules and regulation to “leapfrog” the Sudanese market towards more efficient electrical appliances.

The country office’s energy initiatives reflect many achievements and challenges found across the UNDP global energy portfolio. Although there is strong buy-in from the government and demand from the domestic private sector to enter the renewable market, to demonstrate the viability of utility-scale wind in Sudan requires larger-scale financiers to be convinced that the risk of investing has reduced, which goes beyond energy considerations. As a single site, the wind turbines could only provide electricity for a share of the population, 65 percent of whom currently have no access to the electrical grid. Smaller-scale solutions have shown promise but have also struggled to find a price model for solar pumping equipment that does not exclude the poorest groups. Another factor is that the switch to solar requires reskilling technicians trained in repairing diesel generators. Despite having two energy projects that seek to improve women’s equality and economic empowerment, the country office is reviewing its targeting conditions for the pumps because many Sudanese women do not have the right to own land, regardless of whether their husbands live in the household. UNDP energy initiatives in Sudan demonstrate the need for long-term, broad and persistent efforts to create just transitions.

77 Project document review. 78 UNEP (2020) Sudan First State of Environment and Outlook Report 2020.