Sudan has experienced a nationwide power blackout lasting two weeks, forcing homes and businesses to rely on expensive private generators [4].

The outage threatens the stability of the national economy and basic services. In Khartoum, the capital, the lack of reliable power has disrupted commerce and increased operational costs for small business owners.

Ahmed Yaqoub, a supermarket owner in Khartoum, said the costs of maintaining operations during the blackout are unsustainable. Yaqoub said he spent $500 per day [1] on fuel to power his business generator.

Officials from Sudan's Ministry of Energy and Oil said the crisis is due to multiple failures. Some authorities said damage to the Merowe Hydroelectric station is to blame [3], while other reports indicate the crisis was worsened by a halt of electricity imports from Ethiopia and general grid damage [3].

The Merowe Hydroelectric station is critical to the country's energy security, as it supplies more than 50% of Sudan’s electricity [3]. The current power shortage is estimated at 3,000 megawatts [2].

The blackout began in July 2026 [5]. While some areas have seen intermittent flickers of power, the majority of the country remains dependent on diesel-powered alternatives. This reliance on generators has created a secondary crisis of fuel scarcity and price inflation in urban centers.

Government officials have not provided a definitive timeline for the full restoration of the grid. The combination of infrastructure damage and the loss of external power sources has left the Ministry of Energy struggling to stabilize the national load.

“Sudan has experienced a nationwide power blackout lasting two weeks”

The blackout highlights the fragility of Sudan's energy infrastructure and its dangerous over-reliance on a single primary source of power. By losing more than half of its electricity capacity through the Merowe station and simultaneously losing imports from Ethiopia, the country has no redundant systems to prevent a total collapse. This vulnerability leaves the economy susceptible to sudden shocks and increases the cost of living for citizens who must pay a premium for private energy.