Malaysia plans to build hydro-electricity project in Sudan
Sudan-Malaysia, Economics, 12/8/2000

Malaysia's participation in Sudan's economy is expected to expand with plans to build a major hydro-electricity project in the vast north African country, reports Malaysian news agency BERNAMA.

Sudan's industry and investment minister, Abdulhalim Ismail Al-Mutafi, said the two governments were currently negotiating details of the project.

The proposed project was discussed by Malaysian prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad, and Sudan's president Omar Hassan Al-Bashir on the sidelines of the ninth summit of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) in Doha, Qatar, recently.

The Sudanese minister said the US$ 700-million hydro project would be localted on the Nile with a projected 2000 megawatts generating capacity.

He added Malaysia would also assist Sudan in formulating a 20-year Industrial Master Plan for the country. The Malaysian oil corporation Petronas has invested about US$800 million in the Sudan project, its single largest overseas investment to date.

Petronas's involvement in the petroleum industry was through a consortium named Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Company (GNPOC) in which its subsidiary, Petronas Carigali Nile Ltd, holds a 30 percent equity.

Other equity holders are China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) (40 percent), Talisman (Greater Nile) B.V.of Canada (25 percent) and Sudan's national oil company Sudapet Ltd with five percent. Total trade between Malaysia-Sudan grew to US$29.9 million in 1999 from US$17.3 million in 1998.

Malaysia's exports to Sudan included palm oil, automatic data processing machines, natural rubber, electrical apparatus, resistors, printed circuits and parts. Its main imports were pumps, compressors, fans and parts, plates, sheets, film, coil and strips of plastics, special yarns, textile fabrics and related products and paper and paperboards.

Previous Stories:
  Sudanese oil for Ethiopia   (11/6/2000)
  Sudan's first year of petroleum export   (10/11/2000)
  Scheduling Sudan due debts for the Arab fund   (9/11/2000)

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