The United Nations Mission in South Sudan has inaugurated a new solar panel farm at one of its compounds in the capital Juba. The installation is expected to significantly reduce the peacekeeping mission’s use of noisy, expensive and excessively fuel-consuming generators.

“These solar panels can save the burning of about 3,000 litres of fossil fuel every day,” Asharam Nhemafuki, an engineer serving with the peacekeeping mission, said.

Since 2011, the peacekeeping mission has been generating electricity on its premises across the country almost exclusively by means of expensive and environment-unfriendly fossil fuels.

The 25-year-long estimated life span of the solar panel farm, occupying an area of approximately 10,000 square meters, will meet the energy needs of nine office buildings and the accommodation units of all the military personnel at UN House. The energy generated represents roughly 60 per cent of the electricity consumed on the base, with the remaining 40 per cent to be produced by two generators, as compared to the five currently in use.

Having taken fourteen months to build, the solar project is an important part of the peacekeeping mission’s aim to minimize its ecological footprint.