Energy: Ethiopian Interconnection Shutdown Behind Power Outage

Khartoum – Sudanhorizon

The Sudanese Ministry of Energy and Petroleum on Tuesday explained that the shutdown of the Ethiopian electricity interconnection has caused a complete cut-off of the supply coming through the continental interconnection with Ethiopia.

In a press release, the ministry announced that a combination of other complex technical, operational, and security factors contributed to the complete outage. These included increased loads and demand coinciding with the heat-wave, the return of residents to several liberated areas, and the growing operational needs of the agricultural and industrial sectors.

The ministry indicated that the power outage was caused by power stations going offline, in addition to the disruption and shutdown of several main generating stations for necessary and emergency maintenance.

The statement also noted the systematic sabotage and targeting of generation and transmission stations and networks, including repeated acts of sabotage, theft, and attacks, which severely damaged the network’s capacity and stability.

The Ministry announced the completion of a pivotal phase in its urgent plan to rehabilitate the national electricity grid, confirming the success of engineering teams in adding more than 260 megawatts to the national network.

It anticipates that available capacity will exceed 600 megawatts upon completion of ongoing technical programs. The Ministry also outlined the on-the-ground challenges and acts of sabotage that have necessitated the current scheduled power cuts.

The Ministry reiterated its apologies to citizens and the productive sectors for the inconvenience caused by the outages, emphasizing that technical teams are working around the clock under extremely complex conditions to restore the idled units and minimize outage durations.

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