What Policies Are Needed for Solar Energy to Play a Leading Role in National Energy Security?

Dr Jaafar Ahmed Khalifa
We begin by defining energy security as a country’s ability to meet its energy needs in a stable, reliable, and affordable manner.
Sudan’s atmosphere is rich in solar energy. It is well known that the higher the intensity of solar radiation in a given region, the lower the cost of electricity generated from it. As for the reliability of solar power supply, no human force can prevent us from harnessing the energy of our atmosphere—whether solar or wind. Moreover, the absence of sunlight at night or under certain weather conditions is no longer a serious threat to the stability of solar electricity, given the rapid spread of electrochemical storage systems—both conventional and modern—along with their declining costs and improving performance.
Thus, solar energy in Sudan, by virtue of its natural endowment, is well positioned to achieve energy security—provided it is properly utilised.
How can we ensure proper utilisation? This can only be achieved through sound national policies that enable all segments of society to access solar energy in an affordable, safe, and sustainable manner.
Following the war, Sudanese society has widely turned to solar energy to compensate for the severe electricity shortage. To sustain this trend and ensure its steady progress, the government must adopt a set of policies, outlined below:
First: Customs and VAT Exemptions
Such exemptions help reduce the cost of solar energy systems, encouraging their adoption as an alternative energy source. It is commendable that the Ministry of Finance has recognised this and responded. However, the response remains incomplete, as key components were excluded from exemptions.
For example:
Specialised mounting structures designed according to international engineering standards, which ensure durability under harsh weather conditions (unlike ordinary pipes), are essential for proper installation.
Electrical cabling and other components were excluded on the grounds of dual-use classification.
There is a need to link exemptions to quality standards, so that only products that meet approved specifications are exempted. This would allow high-quality components to compete fairly with inferior ones. Implementing this may require institutional development within relevant technical bodies.
Second: Bank Financing
The Central Bank’s directive to include solar energy in microfinance programmes—particularly in the residential and agricultural sectors—is a positive step, but remains insufficient. Key observations include:
Current financing is limited to microfinance, with a low ceiling and restricted mainly to residential and parts of the agricultural sector. It does not account for price volatility and exchange rate fluctuations.
The financing ceiling is inadequate, particularly for agricultural activities.
The annual profit margin charged by banks (around 30%) is excessively high and discouraging. Banks justify this due to exchange rate risks. A potential solution is the establishment of a sovereign guarantee fund to compensate banks for potential losses.
Financing should be linked to quality compliance. Only systems installed by certified and qualified companies should be eligible for financing, ensuring consumer protection and system reliability.
To maximise the role of solar power in electricity generation—and to support the national economy—financing policies should extend beyond microfinance to include:
Commercial,
Industrial,
and service sectors,
with favourable terms encouraging these sectors to adopt solar energy.
Such an approach would reduce reliance on imported fuel used in electricity generation, thereby lowering national costs.
Third: Market Regulation
Fourth: Consumer Protection
These two aspects—market regulation and consumer protection—are critical components of the policy framework and will be addressed in subsequent discussions.
Concluding Insight
Solar energy in Sudan is not merely an alternative—it is a strategic opportunity for achieving sustainable energy security. However, its success depends not only on natural abundance, but on coherent policies that:
reduce costs,
expand financing,
enforce quality,
and protect consumers.
Without such an integrated policy framework, the full potential of solar energy will remain underutilised.

Shortlink: https://sudanhorizon.com/?p=12684