Sudan’s Ministry of Energy and Oil has attributed the country’s worsening electricity crisis to a combination of factors, including the suspension of power imports from Ethiopia, technical challenges and damage to key infrastructure.
In a statement issued on 21 July 2026, the ministry said power outages had intensified in Khartoum and other states, with some areas experiencing blackouts lasting more than 18 hours a day.
The ministry said increased electricity demand during the hot summer season, the return of residents to some areas, and rising consumption in the agricultural and industrial sectors had put additional pressure on the grid. Several major power plants were also taken offline for maintenance, while shortages of fuel, spare parts and operational supplies further reduced generation capacity.
It added that vandalism, theft and attacks had damaged power generation units, transformer stations and transmission lines, affecting grid stability.
Authorities said a rehabilitation program was underway, with more than 260 megawatts already restored to the national grid and capacity expected to exceed 600 megawatts after ongoing projects are completed. More than 20 substations and over 1,700 kilometres of damaged transmission lines have also been repaired.
The ministry said engineers were working under difficult security conditions to restore remaining facilities and reduce outage hours, while load shedding was being managed to maintain stability and prevent a total grid collapse.
