Sudan restores two Khartoum power substations in post-war grid recovery effort

June 5, Khartoum— Sudan’s Prime Minister Kamil Idris and Energy and Oil Minister Mutasim Ibrahim Ahmed inaugurated on Thursday the restoration of the Soba and Bant electricity substations in Khartoum state, reconnecting them to the national power grid as part of ongoing reconstruction and recovery efforts.

The Ministry of Energy said in a statement that the rehabilitation of the two substations will contribute to improving the stability of electricity supply across the country. The minister described the achievement as “a major accomplishment realised through purely national will,” reflecting the determination of sector workers to restore and improve electricity services.

Idris praised the efforts of electricity sector workers in rehabilitating damaged infrastructure, saying the milestone demonstrates the capacity of Sudanese to overcome the effects of the war and rebuild despite the scale of destruction that has hit service facilities. He reaffirmed the government’s support for the electricity sector as a cornerstone of economic development and productive activity.

Sudan’s electricity sector has sustained losses and damage estimated at approximately three billion dollars since the outbreak of war in April 2023, according to UN Development Programme estimates, worsening power outages across a large number of states and regions.

The minister acknowledged that the cost of rebuilding electricity infrastructure remains very high given the extent of damage to generation, transmission, distribution, and substation facilities, but said the skills and determination of engineers and workers in the sector are a fundamental pillar in overcoming current challenges.

Sudan faces a growing electricity supply deficit, particularly during summer, with temperatures reaching approximately 44 degrees Celsius across the north, centre, and east of the country.