(Ecofin Agency) - President Omar El-Béchir has commissioned the Um-Dabakir thermal plant. Located in Kosti, 300 Km from Khartoum, the 500 MW thermal power plant which cost about $457 million is the country’s biggest thermal plant.

The infrastructure has four production units, each generating 125 MW. The 18,000 barrels of oil used to power the plant daily will be supplied by the      Adariel oil station.

The Um-Dabakir plant was established by the Indian firm Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL). It was financed in the most part via a $350 million credit line from Exim Bank India.

According to Mudhawi Abdul-Karim Musa, head of project management at Sudan’s thermal power generation company, the coming into service of the power station will play a key role in stabilizing the country’s supply in energy as only a third of Sudan’s population has access to electricity.

Gwladys Johnson