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ADFC helps launch key Sudan power plant

ABU DHABI, February 4, 2017

Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) has announced the official opening of a 320-MW hydroelectric power plant at the Upper Atbara and Setit Dam Complex’s in Eastern Sudan.

The $1.9-billion complex consists of the Rumela Dam on Upper Atbarah River and Burdana Dam on Setit River. The twin dams, hold a storage capacity of 2.7 billion cu m of water.

The project utilises natural water resources to reinforce agriculture production and generate much-needed electricity.

ADFD’s $90 million concessionary loan contributed to the successful completion of the plant’s power source - Rumela Dam and Burdana Dam, said a statement from the Abu Dhabi fund.

The plant was inaugurated by Sudanese President Omar Hassan Al Bashir in the presence of Mohammed Saif Al Suwaidi, the director general of ADFD, Badr El Din Mahmoud Hamid Abbas, the Sudanese Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Hamad Mohammed Al Junaibi, UAE Ambassador to Sudan, and several high-ranking Sudanese officials.

The project also features schools, mosques, transportation infrastructure, healthcare centres and 11 housing communities.

Moreover, the Complex, is also expected to provide efficient irrigation systems and networks to increase agricultural production in the New Halfa area.

Apeaking at the launch, Al Suwaidi said: "ADFD remains committed to supporting the Sudanese government in achieving the country’s developmental goals. In line with our mission to fund key sectors that yield significant benefits, our latest project goes a long way in serving the needs of the Sudanese population."

"The project directly supports 93 villages’ overall socio-economic growth and led to the creation of 4,000 new jobs. Moreover, not only does the plant provide a sustainable source of energy, it also helps expand agricultural areas, increases irrigation efficiency and enhances food and energy security," he added.

Hamid Abbas, thanking the UAE government for its continued support, emphasized that ADFD’s many developmental efforts have directly contributed to improving living standards in Sudan.

The 30,000 families affected by the project’s infrastructure have been properly relocated to homes equipped with electricity and clean drinking water, he stated.

Furthermore, he noted that apart from giving a major boost to the national power grid, the project supplies thousands of people in the region with drinking water, and irrigates large expanses of fields growing produce for domestic and international consumption.

Since 1976, ADFD has contributed more than Dh2 billion ($544 million) to 17 sustainable development projects in Sudan across key sectors – most notably health, education, transportation, agriculture, water, irrigation and energy.-TradeArabia News Service




Tags: abu dhabi | sudan | fund | power plant |

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