Cabinet approves US$150m solar project for Juba

Deputy Information Minister Dr Jacob Maiju Korok said the Minister for Energy and Dams, Peter Marcello, Friday presented to the Cabinet a plan for the construction of a five megawatts hyper solar power plant in Juba City.

He said Marcello presented a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Energy and Dams and TPA Company Limited.

The purpose of the project is to support the provision of a reliable continuous and affordable energy in Juba. The estimated cost is US$150.2 million, and the maturity is 20 years plus five-year grace period on a concessional loan. This project was deliberated and passed unanimously, explained Korok.

He disclosed that the Energy Minister also requested his Finance counterpart to pay a company that invested in a solar plant US$ 50 million following a court ruling.

Korok explained that the company had sued the government in the Court of Arbitration in the US for failure to complete the payment for the 20 megawatts solar plant in Nesitu.

On Friday, the National Council of Ministers approved the draft 2024/2025 budget with a focus on paying civil servants and the organized forces and cuts on travel.

The budget estimates are 4.2 trillion SSP, with a fiscal deficit of 1.9 trillion SSP.