South Sudan is advancing a multi-million-dollar expansion of its national electrical grid and regional transmission network, setting the stage for major commercial and infrastructure presentations at the upcoming South Sudan Oil & Power (SSOP) 2026 conference in Juba on November 24–25, 2026.
Central to the expansion is the World Bank-funded South Sudan Energy Sector Access and Institutional Strengthening Project (ASSIST), a $53 million initiative featuring a $16.8 million international procurement package aimed at designing, supplying, and commissioning grid densification infrastructure across the capital to connect thousands of new residential, commercial, and industrial consumers.
Complementing domestic network upgrades, South Sudan is moving forward with cross-border energy integration projects to import regional generation capacity and stabilize national supply. Implementation officially began in September 2026 on the South Sudan–Uganda Power Interconnection Project, backed by African Development Fund financing—including $121 million allocated for the Ugandan section and $33.66 million for South Sudan—to construct a 400-kV transmission line between Olwiyo and Juba capable of delivering an average annual energy transfer of 624 GWh to over 286,000 citizens. Simultaneously, the African Development Bank approved supplementary funding in May 2026 for the Juba Distribution System Rehabilitation and Expansion Project to construct 357 km of low-voltage lines and 201 transformer stations while facilitating future interconnections with Ethiopia’s power grid.
The upcoming SSOP 2026 summit will serve as the primary platform for government officials, international financiers, regional utilities, and engineering contractors to coordinate funding and technology deployment for these mid-stream and downstream power assets. As South Sudan seeks to scale up transmission infrastructure, the event will feature strategic project showcases and investor roundtables designed to mobilize capital and accelerate execution across the country’s growing energy portfolio.
ABJ/APA