Technical breakdown cuts power to three Sudanese states

July 28, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s Ministry of Energy announced on Tuesday that a major technical breakdown cut electricity supplies to three northern and eastern states, leaving millions without power amid rising summer temperatures.

The ministry said a sudden drop in load caused the critical 500-kilovolt Merowe–Atbara transmission line to fail, knocking out power across the River Nile, the Red Sea, and Northern states.

Technical crews are working around the clock to complete repairs, with authority officials expecting power to be restored within several days, the ministry said in a statement.

The outage worsens existing load-shedding schedules in many parts of Sudan, where daily power cuts already last between 12 and 18 hours.

The ministry warned that relying on alternative power feeds in the interim could temporarily increase load-shedding hours in other non-affected states.

Sudanese energy officials attributed ongoing power shortages to halted imports from Ethiopia, rising summer demand, high fuel costs for thermal plants, and extensive damage to electrical infrastructure caused by deliberate attacks and looting during the conflict.