Sudan’s electricity production has fallen by 75% since war erupted in April 2023, leaving some areas facing power cuts lasting up to 16 hours a day as damaged infrastructure and an exodus of skilled workers deepen the crisis.
Generation has dropped to about 1,100 megawatts from 4,400 megawatts before the conflict, according to an Associated Press report cited by Sudan News on Sunday.
The United Nations Development Programme estimates damage to the electricity network at about $3 billion, the report said. Power stations have also come under drone attack, adding to the strain on the country’s electricity supply.
Officials in the sector told AP that roughly half of Sudan’s most experienced engineers and technicians have left the country since the war began, weakening its capacity to maintain and repair the network.
Prolonged blackouts and high temperatures have pushed some households towards solar power, but the cost puts it beyond the reach of many families. A solar energy worker in Khartoum quoted the price of a 10-kilowatt home system at around $5,000.
Around 30% of Sudan’s population has no access to electricity at all, according to the report, with rural communities bearing the greatest burden.
The Sudan Doctors Network warned that outages threaten hospital services and patient care, particularly for people with kidney disease who require regular treatment.
Sudan has considerable potential for solar energy, with some areas receiving more than 4,000 hours of sunshine a year. But expensive imported equipment and the declining value of the Sudanese pound continue to hinder wider adoption, leaving many households with few affordable alternatives to the failing grid.
