The cacophony of criticism from the public, businesses and Anti- SLPP critics over the crippling blackout in Freetown, almost immediately after President Bio took over governance has since this week turned into silence and wonder.
Due to the diligent action by the new Minister of Energy and staffs, residents and consumers of electricity in the Western Area can now be confident that the President Bio led SLPP Government has within the shortest possible time solved the huge blackout that hit the capital in April.
Speaking with satisfaction on Radio Democracy on Tuesday morning, the Energy Minister, Alhaji Kanja Sesay said, Freetown can now count on a steady output of 30 megawatt from the Karpo Ship, 25 from the Blackhall Road thermal plant, 10 from Addax and 5 from Bumbuna as at now with an expected capacity of 45 to 50 megawatts during the rainy season.
Freetown, he said, needs 60 megawatt and therefore, with the current capacity, blackout is now a thing of the past as city to a large extent is assured of uninterrupted power supply
Significantly, he said, with the deal done with Karpo, there is no more need for the inflated and exorbitant Aggreko plant which drank Le600 million of diesel fuel every day and supplied electricity at 35 American cents per kilowatt.
Whilst EDSA was selling it to consumers at 16 cent; meaning government was unsustainably subsidizing Aggreko. The over bloated contract, he said, ends on June 15th 2018 and will not be renewed by the Ministry of Energy.
What is assuring is that the Karpo deal not only frees government from continued subsidizing of EDSA, it also saves about USD9 million annually, which Minister Sesay said, can be used for additional investments in the sector, including revolutionizing the transmission and distribution network.