How can Sierra Leone improve its low electricity access rate?

Sierra Leone is taking significant steps to improve its low electricity access rate by committing to various renewable energy projects. These initiatives, driven by the country’s Presidential Initiative on Climate Change, Renewable Energy & Food Security (PI-CREF), include a major hydropower and solar PV project.

What is in Sierra Leone's energy roadmap?

A key part of the roadmap is to incorporate Sierra Leone’s abundant renewable energy resources, ensuring a secure energy supply to rural communities and boosting the national economy. One of the most significant projects in this roadmap is the planned expansion of the Bumbuna Hydroelectric Dam.

Can Sierra Leone double its power output to 12MW?

This station, which currently has a generation capacity of 6MW, has the potential to double its output to 12MW. In addition to the Goma Hydropower Station update, Sierra Leone signed an MoU with the European Union earlier this month to deploy 57 solar mini-grids in rural communities that currently lack electricity.

What challenges does Sierra Leone face in developing electricity infrastructure?

However, Sierra Leone faces multiple challenges in developing its electricity infrastructure. According to the Ministry of Energy, the national electrification rate stands at 26%, with a dramatic drop to 6% in rural areas where the majority of the population resides.

How long will it take to build a hydro-solar plant in Sierra Leone?

The recently signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for this ambitious project outlines a phased approach, with plans to build a 200MW hydro-solar plant. This plant, which is expected to be completed in two to three years, will almost double Sierra Leone’s total installed electricity capacity in its first phase.

Will Sierra Leone's Goma hydropower station be upgraded?

In a recent statement, Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Wonie Bio confirmed his administration’s commitment to updating the Goma Hydropower Station. This station, which currently has a generation capacity of 6MW, has the potential to double its output to 12MW.