AYV News, March 22, 2024

The Vienna-based Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) and partners including the FCDO supported Climate Compatible Growth (CCG) has presented and updated the Government of Sierra Leone on the progress of the Just, Equitable, Energy Transition and Green Growth Plan that they are developing with other partners at the just concluded Energy Roundtable co-hosted by the Ministry of Energy and the World Bank.

The Just, Equitable, Energy Transition and Green Growth Plan is an outcome of the First National Climate Resilience and Energy Transition Dialogue (NCRETC) hosted and organized by the Presidential Initiative on Climate Change, Renewable Energy and Food Security (PI-CREF) in collaboration with the Ministries of Energy (MoE) Environment and Climate Change (MoECC).

As an outcome of this initiative, Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), in collaboration with local Government Ministries, the Climate Compatible Growth (CCG), the African School of Regulation (ASR), the Climate Action Platform for Africa (CAP-A) and other partners, have come together with their diverse skills, experience and expertise to design and develop Sierra Leone’s Energy Transition, Green Growth and Investment Plan.

In his remarks at the National Climate Resilience and Energy Transition Dialogue (NCRETC), His Excellency, President Julius Maada Bio set a clear goal to transition into a net energy exporter, and driving economic development by achieving universal energy access by 2035. “Sierra Leone’s ambition,” he said “is to grow grid generation capacity from 200MW to 1GW in 10 years and add 200 mini-grids to support energy access and agricultural production.”

This ambition will be captured in the energy transition plan being developed.

Sierra Leone has one of the lowest electricity access rates in the world, with less than 36% of the total population having access to electricity and high technical and transmission losses of about 40 percent. In addition, more than 90% of the population of Sierra Leone lacks access to modern cooking fuels and energy-efficient cooking systems.

In recognition of both the gravity and global significance of these development challenges and the potential opportunity, President Bio has prioritized robust action to address them in a coherent manner with the launch of his Presidential Initiative on Climate Change, Renewable Energy and Food Security (PI-CREF).

The PI-CREF has the mandate to facilitate consultations within and outside of the country with key development actors and partners; identify the most important actions required to support the government’s policy goals on climate resilience, energy access, and food security; articulate actions to support progress toward its short-term, mid-term and long-term development goals; organize investment forums to mobilize resources and partnerships for the implementation of programmes.

SEforALL’s Energy Transition and Investment Plans aim to facilitate universal energy access and decrease overall energy emissions using open-source energy modelling tools covering all sectors of the economy (power, transport, industries, cooking, buildings, and agriculture) and address poverty through local socio-economic development (e.g., identify job creation potential of the energy transition, fuel imports savings).

Sierra Leone’s Energy Transition and Green Growth plan will provide a roadmap for the nation to develop its energy systems, focusing on economic and social development while targeting net-zero emissions. The plan encompass a comprehensive investment strategy that identifies strategic energy investment opportunities and the necessary types of finance, including public, private, and concessional funding.

PI-CREF plays a pivotal role in coordinating efforts across Sierra Leone to address climate change, renewable energy, and food security. It also plays a critical role in mobilising international partnerships such as bringing together partners to design and develop Sierra Leone’s Energy Transition and Green Growth Plan among others, facilitating investments and leading advocacy efforts to support the nation’s socioeconomic development.