Assessing Sudan’s Capabilities for IIoT-based Power Systems

Abstract

Sudan’s power sector stands at a critical point. The country faces serious challenges such as old infrastructure, frequent power outs, and very high transmission and distribution losses compared to other countries in the region. At the same time, Sudan has a solid base for improvement, which includes the large hydro and thermal power capacity, and a telecommunications sector that, though still limited, is slowly expanding. This paper explores whether the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) can offer a realistic way forward. It suggests that a carefully planned, step-by-step use of IIoT technologies like real-time grid monitoring, predictive maintenance, and smart metering, could greatly improve the power system’s performance. The proposed roadmap connects technical progress with Sudan’s financial and institutional limits. Early modeling results show that a systematic IIoT rollout could reduce system losses by 8–12 % in the short term and by up to 20 % by 2035. More importantly, it could make the grid more reliable and resilient, especially by supporting smart microgrids that bring power to remote areas.