As efforts to transition to a net-zero future intensify globally, South Sudan is implementing a strategic approach to developing its clean energy sector, using revenue generated from oil to harness renewable energy investment and facilitate country-wide electrification.
Speaking in an interview with Sky News organized by Energy Capital & Power, South Sudan’s Petroleum Minister, Puot Kang Chol, explained how the country’s 3.5 billion barrels of proven oil reserves can serve as a catalyst for the development of other sectors.
Accordingly, the Government of South Sudan is inviting foreign investors to finance and engage in hydrocarbon exploration and production, as part of efforts to support the growth of the country’s wider economy.
“Our focus is on developing what we have at hand, and that is fossil fuels,” Minister Chol stated. “We are cognizant of the fact that the world is transitioning from fossil fuels to cleaner and greener energy. We are not opposed to that; we are for it. For those who have the resources and have what it takes, come help us develop the resources we have at hand, so that we move with the world as it transitions.”
As a country, South Sudan has endured some of the worst effects of climate change – including flooding, drought, disrupted crop cycles and food insecurity – while hardly contributing to global greenhouse gas emissions. Lack of new investment in energy and infrastructure development has resulted in an overreliance on petroleum imports and wood-fired power generation, leaving the country with a growing trade deficit and challenges associated with deforestation. Yet with increased investment in its vast hydrocarbon resources, South Sudan has the potential to reverse this trend.
“Our budget depends on oil for 85%. So, we have to develop more and produce more so that we meet the needs of our people. Oil is keeping our people alive,” Minister Chol remarked. “Our contribution is zero. We are not saying that we must not transition. We are saying that the transition must be just, it must be equitable and it must be inclusive. It must be justifiable to my people.”
