Ministry of Energy, EZRA agree to address power shortage in Juba
The commitment was made during an inspection aimed at strengthening partnership between the government and EZRA Group to ensure steady and affordable electricity supply across Juba.
By James Chatim
The Undersecretary in the Ministry of Energy and Dams, Madhieu Achuil, on Friday visited the EZRA power plant and the firm assured the public of uninterrupted power in Juba City.
“I could describe the inspection as a significant milestone in sustaining uninterrupted electricity in Juba City,” said Achuil.
“There is continuity to keep the growth and development for the energy sector. That’s why we came today to see and have some discussion with the power plant team to know also what are the challenges that are concerning the supply, the affordable and continual power to Juba City,” he said.
“Additionally, I should reaffirm the government’s commitment to making electricity more affordable by reducing tariffs, which enable greater access to power for city residents.”
The undersecretary noted that they have the issue of the introduction of the power, which is known as load-shedding.
“So we also discussed with the control team that we have to maintain the supply for all of Juba, regardless of the overload, sometimes in the peak time, at the evening time. So we make sure that there should be a continuous power supply to all households in Juba,” Achuil explained.
The inspection aimed to strengthen the partnership between the government and the EZRA Group to ensure a steady and affordable electricity supply across Juba.
Meanwhile, Natnael Ghebrengus, chief operation officer of EZRA construction power plant, outlined the progress made by the company, highlighting the importance of the government’s support and cooperation in providing security and facilitating the smooth execution of operations in Juba.
“The different progresses include the tunnel of Portland, the 33-phase, first phase tunnel of Portland. The solar 20-mega watt was commissioned a few months back,” said Ghebrengus.
He said the 6-mega watt tunnel is still under construction, saying they have been operating successfully.
However, he said the only challenge that they continue to face is the issue of fuel.
There have been a few complications with that. However, I think with the Ministry of Energy and Dams and the different stakeholders, we’ve been able to manage that,” Ghebrengus highlighted.
“The government has been very successful. Hopefully, I mean, EZRA Group has been in South Sudan more than 35 years. The majority of the investments of EZERA Group are in South Sudan. We believe this is our home, our country. And every progress or every achievement that we make is to achieve success in the country.”
He said if the mandate to supply electricity is extended beyond Juba, more people will have access to power.
Last week, JEDCO announced the implementation of an electricity tariff reduction to give affordable access to power for Juba city residents.
“The different progresses include the tunnel of Portland, the 33-phase, first phase tunnel of Portland. The solar 20-mega watt was commissioned a few months back,” said Natnael Ghebrengus, chief operation officer of EZRA construction power plant.
