Sudan’s Solar PV Market Driving Energy Access For Over 60 Percent Population

Access to electricity remains a major challenge across Africa, where around 40 percent of the population, roughly 600 million people, still lack basic power for lighting, phone charging, or access to information through radios and televisions. Even where electricity is available, it is often insufficient to meet the needs of essential services such as schools, hospitals, and water treatment facilities.

At the 2025 U.N. climate conference, COP30, held in Belém, Brazil, ensuring a just energy transition for regions with limited access to electricity has been a key topic. Much of the rise in atmospheric carbon has come from fossil fuel use in wealthy, industrialized countries, while less-industrialized regions like Africa have contributed little to climate change but are often the first to experience its impacts, including droughts, rising sea levels, and extreme weather events.

Rebekah Shirley, deputy director for Africa at the World Resources Institute, emphasizes that a just energy transition requires significant investment in renewable resources such as wind, solar, geothermal, and hydro power, which are abundant across the continent. Although more than half of Africa’s energy consumption already comes from renewables, achieving universal energy access requires a broader economic approach that not only provides electricity for households but also strengthens local manufacturing and industry, creating self-supporting economies that drive sustainable growth.

Sudan, in particular, represents a significant opportunity for solar energy development due to its high solar irradiation, averaging between 5 and 7 kWh/m² daily. Despite this potential, the majority of Sudan’s population and key economic sectors still lack reliable electricity. Over 60 percent of citizens, especially in rural areas, do not have grid access, constraining economic development in agriculture, healthcare, education, and other critical sectors. This energy gap creates a strong demand for locally manufactured solar modules, offering reliable and cost-effective alternatives to diesel-powered systems.

The agricultural sector in Sudan, which employs over 40 percent of the workforce, is a major market for solar solutions. Farms that rely on diesel-powered water pumps face high operational costs and supply chain challenges. Solar water pumping systems powered by 2 kW to 10 kW solar modules can provide consistent irrigation, increase crop yields, and enhance food security. Rural households and communities also require off-grid solutions such as Solar Home Systems and community microgrids to power lighting, appliances, schools, healthcare facilities, and small businesses. Additionally, Sudan’s telecommunications sector has thousands of mobile towers in remote areas that rely on diesel generators. Solar-diesel hybrid systems can reduce generator runtime, lower fuel and maintenance costs, and provide a stable business-to-business market for solar module manufacturers.

A clear understanding of local demand in agriculture, rural electrification, and telecommunications is essential for entrepreneurs planning to set up solar module manufacturing in Sudan. This includes analyzing production capacity, selecting suitable technology, and acquiring the necessary machinery to serve these key market segments effectively. By aligning manufacturing with actual energy needs, local solar businesses can contribute to sustainable energy access while supporting economic development across the country.

Sudan’s solar PV market holds high potential due to abundant solar resources, a large off-grid population, significant agricultural energy needs, and reliance on diesel generators in telecommunications and rural infrastructure, creating opportunities for local solar module production and hybrid energy solutions.