A power station in Renk County, Upper Nile State - Credit | Michael Daniel/Eye Radio | June 2022

The manager of Renk power station, which receives electricity from neighboring Sudan, has reported power blackout due to conflict-induced technical damage in which a drone struck an electrical transformer in White Nile State.

This is the second power cut in just one month after a two-week blackout caused by severely damaged powerlines in January 2025, was partially restored.

Renk County had been relying on power from a dam in Blue Nile’s Roseiris reservoir, but the two years of war has disrupted or destroyed transmission lines.

William Sawka Wani said in an interview with Eye Radio on Thursday that the blackout was allegedly damaged by a military drone.

Mr. Sawka confirmed that the Sudanese military government said it was working to remove and replace the damaged parts before resuming the power supply to the South Sudan town.

He however stated that maintenance on the damaged lines has been challenging, prompting Renk to temporarily shift to electricity supply from the Sinja and Sennar dams at a limited capacity of 220-kilovolt.

“This power blackout was for a long time, but on Friday it came and again on Sunday morning it went off, we are not alone but the whole White Nile State also is off,” he said.

“A military drone hit the electrical transformer there and this is the reason, but they work on it and I am sure it will come back and now they removed the damaged part out from the station and to be replaced and the power will resume.”

Renk County has been paying an annual electricity consumption fee of $7,000 to the Sudanese government. Before the war, the quantity used to be more than enough for local consumption, leaving a huge excess quantity without being put to use.

Renk General Electricity Distribution Company was built in September 2007 before South Sudan gained independence.