Sudan Restarts Thermal Power Units to Ease Electricity Crisis After Merowe Dam Fire

Sudan’s Ministry of Energy and Petroleum announced that several thermal power generation units have been re‑commissioned and linked to the national grid to stabilise electricity supply after a fire crippled the 1.25 GW Merowe Dam, the country’s largest hydroelectric plant. The blaze damaged key transmission lines, causing widespread outages in Khartoum, Northern, River Nile and Red Sea states. Maintenance teams restored the thermal units and an investigation into the fire’s cause is under way.

In parallel, Sudan exempted solar photovoltaic systems from customs duties, a move confirmed by the Sudanese Customs Forces. The policy aims to promote distributed solar adoption and reduce reliance on hydropower and diesel generators. The exemption follows coordination by Sovereign Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al‑Burhan, who arranged spare‑parts shipments from Egypt to support grid repairs.