AYV News, December 5, 2024
The government has prioritized resolving the energy crisis, with an ambitious short-, medium-, and long-term strategy outlined by Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella, Sector Lead and Chairman of the Energy Governance Coordination Group (EGCG).
In the short term, over six months, the plan involves repairing the Blackhall Road (16MW) and Kingtom (9MW) power plants, importing additional power from Guinea (10MW), Ivory Coast (27MW), and Ghana (40MW), and recruiting a Chief Operating Officer and Chief Information Officer for EDSA with World Bank support.
For the medium term, spanning 12 to 18 months, the government plans to develop new power plants in Newton and Lungi (40MW combined), and Kamakwei (40MW), while expanding solar installations with 15MW at Newton and the solarization of seven district headquarters towns, 700 schools, and clinics. Additional efforts include connecting mining companies to the national grid and enhancing private-sector participation in EDSA.
In the long term, a gas plant producing 83MW will be constructed by NANT Energy within two and a half years, while upgrades to Dodo Dam (12MW) and Bumbuna-1 (120MW) will be carried out. The plan also includes establishing 200 mini-grids and investing in nationwide transmission and distribution infrastructure, supported by the MCC and Indian EXIM Bank. The overall target is to increase Sierra Leone’s energy generation to 422MW.
Deputy Minister-1 of Energy, Dr. Eldred Taylor, shared updates on plans to establish a Rural Electrification Agency to coordinate rural electrification programs. He also highlighted the development of a Cost Reflective Tool (CRT) to address tariff discrepancies between rural and urban areas. The government has committed to installing 200 mini-grids nationwide over the next two years.
Deputy Minister-2 of Energy, Ing. Edmond Nonie, emphasized the Ministry’s commitment to fair electricity distribution across the country. He noted that weekly sectoral monitoring meetings are held to ensure progress and accountability.
Ndeye Fatu Koroma, National Coordinator of the Sierra Leone Compact Development Unit (SLCDU), confirmed that the MCC Compact would focus on building and modernizing transmission and distribution lines and implementing policy and governance reforms. The mobilization phase is ongoing, with full-scale implementation expected to commence in 2026 over a five-year period.
EDSA Board Chairman, Ing. Andrew Keilie, disclosed that the utility company loses approximately 50 percent of its electricity due to technical and commercial inefficiencies. To address this, EDSA will embark on a Loss Reduction Exercise, including customer inspections and billing compliance. Private sector participation, capacity building, and administrative reforms are also central to EDSA’s strategy for improved service delivery.
