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# [MADAGASCAR] Jirama Blackouts and Suspected Sabotage: Energy Crisis Threatens the Economy
- URL: https://businessoi.media/en/madagascar-jirama-delestages-sabotage-suspecte-et-crise-de-gouvernance-energetique-en/
- Published: 2026-07-28T08:47:14.000Z
- Updated: 2026-07-28T08:47:14.000Z
- Description: 45-min cuts in Antananarivo, 2h in Toamasina. In Antsirabe, Jirama suspects deliberate sabotage after 4 straight days of blackout. An energy crisis threatening investment and putting pressure on reforms expected by the World Bank.
- Author: Emmanuel TAOCHY
- Tags: Madagascar, Économie, Flash de mi-journée, #en

**Since early July 2026, four major Malagasy cities have been hit by repeated power cuts.** Antananarivo, Toamasina, Antsiranana and Antsirabe are all affected. In Antsirabe, things have taken a darker turn: national utility Jirama suspects deliberate acts of sabotage behind four consecutive days of blackouts.

## Four Cities Under Rolling Blackouts

In Antananarivo, subscribers on the RIA interconnected grid face 45-minute rotating cuts per neighbourhood. In Toamasina, outages last up to two hours per zone. Official causes are multiple: a breakdown of the DG2 generator at the Afripower-Mandroseza plant, a faulty combustion turbine (TAC 1), and reduced solar output due to cloud cover. In Antsiranana, private operator Enelec delivered only 1.6 MW against a contractual commitment of 4.2 MW, citing accumulated maintenance delays caused by payment arrears owed by Jirama.

## Sabotage Suspected in Antsirabe

In Antsirabe, after four consecutive days of power cuts, Jirama went further in its public statements: the company suspects deliberate acts of sabotage. An investigation has been opened. The government issued Enelec a one-week ultimatum to restore service in Antsiranana and delivered two 500 kW generators to reinforce production capacity on the Amporaha network.

## Why It Matters

Energy remains one of the biggest barriers to private investment in Madagascar. With rural electrification below 20%, Jirama is under constant pressure to keep economically active urban areas powered. Repeated blackouts directly hit industrial productivity — textiles, agro-processing, mining — and erode foreign operators' confidence. The World Bank, which allocated $225 million to Madagascar in 2026, has tied part of its disbursements to energy sector reforms. The recurrence of these crises makes those reforms more urgent than ever.