Sudan's first solar laboratory has recently opened its doors in the capital Khartoum. The building was constructed by the Sudan Standards and Metrology Organization (SSMO) and UNDP (the United Nations Development Programme) with funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The laboratory will mainly help ensure the quality and longevity of imported solar systems and support the country's electricity transition.
Sudan is acquiring a solar laboratory, the first of its kind in the country. The building is located in its capital, Khartoum. It was inaugurated on July 6, 2020 by the Sudanese Standards and Metrology Organization (SSMO) and UNDP (the United Nations Development Programme). The environment fund (GEF) and the Sudanese Ministry of Energy and Mines provided financial support for the construction of the solar laboratory.
The SSMO, which will manage the solar laboratory, and the Sudanese Ministry of Energy and Mines have provided a team of technical experts and engineers trained by UNDP.
The solar laboratory will provide testing and certification services for solar energy technologies in Sudan. “As many solar systems imported from Sudan are being renovated, the testing will ensure the quality, authenticity and reliability of these products, which will provide clean energy to Sudanese users for at least 20 years. Sudan has the opportunity for a solar revolution, transforming agriculture, transport and many other sectors,” says UNDP.
Up to 30 solar products tested and certified per day
The construction of a solar laboratory in Sudan follows the establishment of national and global technical standards for solar energy by the Sudanese Standards and Metrology Organization (SSMO). The new laboratory will be able to test between 20 and 30 solar panels, systems and solar water pumps imported into the country every day, thousands of which are already destined for Sudan’s agricultural sector. The solar laboratory will also support research and provide technical improvements in solar technology. One of the projects that will benefit from the expertise of the new facility is the project of 1,469 solar-powered irrigation water pumps to be implemented on farms in the north of the country by 2021. The project will be financed by the UNDP and the GEF.
Inès Magoum
