Sudan grid collapses as RSF drones target 15 substations

Sudan’s national power grid is now nearly entirely reliant on a single hydroelectric facility after a week of drone strikes destroyed critical electrical infrastructure in army-held northern regions. The Merowe Dam, with a capacity of 1,250 megawatts, currently supplies more than 70% of the country’s electricity. Prior to this series of attacks, total national production had already dropped from 4,400 megawatts before the war began to 1,100 megawatts.

The latest strikes occurred on Sunday, when drones targeted power substations in two towns. In Al-Dabbah, located in Northern state, an explosion shook houses shortly after 4 a.m. local time. Residents reported finding the substation completely burned upon arrival. The station’s guard, Mohammed al-Nour, was killed in the attack. In Abu Hamad, in River Nile state, a drone strike destroyed the local substation without causing casualties, according to the local security committee.

Emergency Lawyers, a Sudanese rights organization, stated that fifteen substations have been targeted since early October. The group attributed Sunday’s strikes to the Rapid Support Forces, or RSF. Sudan’s government and the rights group hold the paramilitary group responsible for the wave of attacks on electricity stations.

The destruction of the power infrastructure has disrupted essential services across the affected areas. The Sudan Doctors Network warned that the outages endanger hospitals, dialysis centers, and blood banks. The group also noted that the lack of power threatens the cold storage required for medicines and vaccines. In Al-Dabbah, the outage has forced markets, hospitals, and bakeries to close. Seif al-Rawasi, a baker in the city, said he has a generator but no diesel fuel to run it. He stated that he would eventually have to shut down his business without access to electricity.

The timeline of the current crisis began late Wednesday, when drones hit the Um Dabakir thermal power station in White Nile state. This facility is the country’s largest thermal plant, with a capacity of 500 megawatts. An employee at the Sudan Electric Holding Company, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the attack destroyed four transformers and damaged three generating units. The station’s director said the damage will affect the regional network for months. White Nile and North Kordofan states have been cut off from the grid.

On Friday, a drone carrying four missiles struck the main substation in Shendi. The local security committee reported that the attack destroyed the transformers and also hit a reserve depot and an army air defense hangar, wounding one soldier. Farmers in the region face a specific threat at the start of the winter growing season because irrigation depends on electricity. With no diesel available to run pumps, agricultural output is at risk.

Sudan’s Foreign Ministry said on Saturday that the drones were supplied by the United Arab Emirates and launched from Ethiopia. The UAE has repeatedly denied arming the RSF. The RSF did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the strikes. The war in Sudan has killed at least 59,000 people and displaced some 13 million. Many residents who can afford it have turned to solar panels, but a typical household system costs nearly $5,000, a sum that is beyond the reach of most families.

The next phase of the crisis involves the repair of the damaged substations and the restoration of grid connectivity for the northern states. The Electricity Holding Company indicated that the Merowe Dam is the last major source of electricity in the country. Other hydroelectric dams in Sudan produce no more than 100 megawatts combined.