What It Means for Sudan to Have a National Plan for a Comprehensive Transition to Renewable Energy

By Dr. Jaafar Ahmed Khalifa
Following previous articles in which I discussed Sudan’s national motivations for transitioning to renewable energy, including the popular demand for solar power generation, I now turn to the meaning of having a national plan for Sudan’s transition to renewable energy.
First:
While the primary motivation for most countries to transition to renewable energy is climate-related, Sudan must define its transition based on its own national interests. According to the International Energy Agency, Sudan’s carbon footprint accounts for no more than 0.05% of global emissions. I previously outlined Sudan’s motivations as rooted in national security, economic incentives, rural development, and the preservation of forest wealth. Including forest wealth in the framework of the energy transition is, in essence, a redefinition of the global concept of energy transition from a national perspective.
Second:
The national plan must comprehensively address all dimensions of the energy transition in line with the global understanding, which covers the following sectors:
Electricity generation from renewable sources.
Electrification of the transportation sector (cars, trucks, etc.), ensuring that these vehicles run on electricity produced from renewable sources. This implies a shift toward electric cars, trucks, and trains rather than fossil fuel-based transportation.
This shift is already a lived reality in most countries, including some of Sudan’s regional neighbours. It is essential to recognise that delayed adoption in this area risks turning Sudan into a dumping ground for outdated fossil-fuel vehicles from other countries—vehicles sold at a low price as those nations shift to renewable energy. This would burden Sudan’s economy, inflating its fossil fuel import bill.
Electrification of the industrial sector (cement, steel, etc.).
Formulating a national plan for the production of green hydrogen as part of Sudan’s broader energy transition strategy. As I noted in a previous article, green hydrogen is poised to play a similar transformative role to that of oil in the second half of the 20th century. It powered production and shaped international alliances—developments still echoing today.
Sudan stands to gain immensely from green hydrogen if it pursues this path with ambition and vision, much like many countries in North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, which enjoy abundant renewable resources. As experts in the green energy market are aware, the European Union has earmarked hundreds of billions of dollars to be invested in North Africa and the Gulf due to their vast solar and wind energy potential—key inputs for green hydrogen. Massive contracts have already been signed with Egypt, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and others to produce and export green hydrogen to Europe.
The development of a national renewable energy plan is not the responsibility of the Ministry of Energy alone—it is a matter for every ministry in the government to contribute to.
Finally, some readers may see this topic as a luxury or a distraction, especially when national security is the overriding concern. However, I would argue that this is precisely what the true architects of war want: to divert us from thinking strategically and keep us mired in conflict.
Planning in this area doesn’t require spending money. Let the financial resources stay focused on security. Policy-making and strategic planning only require intellectual capital. The potential financial savings from switching to renewables—by reducing the fossil fuel import bill—are immense.
Let us not allow our country’s enemies to succeed simply because some of us choose passivity.
And finally—did you know?
That Europe’s renewable energy plan requires massive amounts of minerals that their own mines can no longer provide—including copper?
That Sudan’s electricity sector has lost more than 800 tons of copper, looted and smuggled out of the country?
And that the primary destination for much of that copper was Eastern European countries.
Yes, that is the reality.

Shortlink: https://sudanhorizon.com/?p=6253