Sudan restarts war-damaged joint venture transformer factory to rebuild power grid
June 21, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese government on Sunday restarted a Turkish-Sudanese joint venture transformer factory south of Khartoum to tackle severe equipment shortages caused by the war and support industrial recovery.
The power infrastructure in Sudan has suffered massive vandalism and looting since the conflict began in April 2023. Officials estimate that around 15,000 electricity transformers of various capacities have been destroyed, with each unit valued at approximately $46,000. Large quantities of cables were also looted for copper, and utility companies lost their entire inventory of vital hardware from looted warehouses in Khartoum.
Industry and Trade Minister Mahasin Ali Yaqoub, along with the governors of Khartoum and Al-Jazirah states, inaugurated the Maxan transformer factory in the Safola industrial area. Maxan initially opened in 2020 as a joint venture between Sudanese and Turkish investors, but halted operations after war damage and looting.
Yaqoub said restarting the plant will support state efforts to rebuild the industrial base and reduce reliance on imports. Local production of electrical transformers is critical for stabilizing electricity services, lowering costs, and accelerating maintenance and grid expansion, she added.
Khartoum State Governor Ahmed Osman Hamza reported that the state alone lost about 14,000 transformers, alongside massive quantities of looted cables and equipment. He described the reopening as a strategic step to address the acute shortage and called on management to increase production and expand accessory lines to meet reconstruction demands.
Hamza committed the state government to securing industrial zones and providing facilities to encourage factory owners to resume operations.
Al-Jazirah State Governor Al-Tahir Ibrahim al-Khair noted that his state contains eight industrial cities that continuously require factory services, making domestic production essential for both the industrial and agricultural sectors.
Ibn al-Jarrah Ali, representing the Maxan board of directors, announced that actual operations have commenced with an initial capacity of 150 transformers per month under a single-shift system. The management plans to introduce additional shifts and upgrade production lines to meet the growing demand across Sudanese states.
Earlier this month, the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum announced an urgent four-track plan to rehabilitate the electricity sector, improve supply, and stabilize the grid. The plan involves repairing offline stations in Khartoum State to facilitate residents’ return, strengthening distribution networks, and installing new transformers in high-density areas.
According to the United Nations Development Programme, Sudan’s electricity sector has sustained damages totalling around $3 billion since the war broke out, worsening power outages across multiple states.