South Sudan Energy Sector Access and Institutional Strengthening Project

The objective of the Energy Sector Access and Institutional Strengthening Project is to increase access to electricity services and strengthen the institutional capacity of the electricity sector in South Sudan. There are five components to the project, the first component being grid densification and extension in Juba and vicinity area. This component will finance additional grid connections to residential and small and medium enterprise (SME) customers as well as grid expansion works to enable new commercial and industrial connections in Juba and its vicinity. The second component is the mini-grid pilot. This component will support the solar plus battery hybridization and rehabilitation of the existing isolated grid in the town of Yei. The third component is the off-grid electrification of health and selected public institutions through standalone solar systems. The fourth component is the technical assistance and capacity building. This component will provide technical assistance to MoED, SSEC, and other relevant institutions to build the necessary legal, regulatory, and institutional foundation for sustainable sector growth. This component includes six subcomponents: development of electricity sector legal and regulatory framework, electricity sector planning and capacity building, strengthening of SSEC, empowering the selected private companies in the off-grid solar market, providing technical assistance and capacity building to narrow the gender gap in the electricity sector, and support for the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) and capacity building. Finally, the fifth component is the contingent emergency response component.