Sudan’s energy minister says fuel supplies are sufficient despite recent shortages, as damaged refineries, attacks on energy infrastructure and reliance on imports undermine efforts to secure supplies during the ongoing war.
Energy and Oil Minister Mutasim Ibrahim told the state-run Sudan News Agency (SUNA) in Khartoum on Tuesday that supplies of petrol, diesel, cooking gas and aviation fuel are adequate, blaming recent disruptions on financial and administrative delays and shipping schedules.
He said fuel imports are planned in cycles covering about three months of national demand but did not disclose current reserves or consumption figures.
Sudan’s energy infrastructure has suffered extensive damage since fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) began in April 2023.
Ibrahim said attacks had damaged electricity plants, transmission stations, oil pipelines and storage facilities. An oil pipeline carrying crude into Sudan from Port Sudan was recently targeted in the Haya area, he added.
The destruction of the Khartoum refinery, which previously supplied about 60% of the country’s petroleum product requirements, has increased reliance on imported fuel, Ibrahim said. An associated chemical products plant was also damaged.
He estimated that the refinery had saved the country about $1 million a day or more by reducing imports.
The government was considering proposals to rehabilitate the Khartoum refinery, develop refining capacity in Port Sudan and restore damaged storage facilities, he said.
He said the ministry is also pursuing solar energy projects in River Nile, Northern and Red Sea states.
Sudan is seeking foreign investment in oil exploration, production and refining, with discussions involving India, Belarus, Russia, Turkey and Egypt, he said. The ministry had offered new exploration blocks but did not identify prospective investors or disclose proposed investment values.
Ibrahim defended state intervention in fuel imports despite market liberalisation, saying the government needed to regulate supplies and prices while allowing private companies to participate.
“The liberalisation of fuel imports does not mean the absence of oversight or leaving the market without controls,” he said.
The government’s recovery plans face major challenges as the war continues to damage infrastructure and disrupt economic activity.
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