The policy goal of the energy sector in Sierra Leone is to ensure energy security for sustainable development by providing an enabling environment for the effective and efficient management of the country’s indigenous energy resources.

In the SLPP Government’s ‘New Direction’ Manifesto, it is clearly stated that “Improving supply of Energy is an imperative for any meaningful development and Development of the energy sector permits the development of various energy based industries and the enhancement of the human capacity through improved educational facilities, better health services, improved industrialization and communications facilities. In short, growth and industrialization are impossible today without sustainable and efficient energy.

It can be recalled that in the dying days of the former APC Government, the supply of electricity to the capital city and in the major cities of the country was not only erratic but unpredictable and prohibitively expensive.

When His Excellency appointed Alhaji Kanja Sesay as the New Direction Minister of Energy, charged with the responsibility to rectify the country’s dysfunctional energy sector, the first thing he did was to negotiate a fresh two-year Utility Grid Infrastructure and Electricity Supply Agreement between the Government of Sierra Leone and the Karadeniz Powership Kaya Bey Company Limited for generation of 30MW of electricity for the Western Area. Last month, in response to the growing demand for reliable supply of electricity to the Western Area, the Ministry of Energy concluded agreement for another power ship to supply 25 megawatts to the eastern district of the capital city.

It can be recalled that the APC administration signed several dubious energy contracts with Independent Power Producers like Aggreko contract which almost collapsed EDSA (Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority). Under the Aggreko contract, EDSA was (is) to provide fuel for the Aggreko Plant. EDSA was also required and did make a one-off Capacity Charge payment of US$1,690,000 (One Million Six hundred and ninety thousand United States dollars) to Aggreko and on top of that, Aggreko is charging a tariff of USc31/KWh. Even with this Karpowership Agreement, the APC had negotiated and agreed to pay the company 19.596 USc/Kwh. Under Alhaji Kanja Sesay, the owners of Karpowership agreed to accept 16.4 USc/KWh. On top of that, the Government is not expected to pay any Capacity Charge, no payment for fuel and no hidden charges in the Agreement.

This Agreement represents an annual savings of US$9 Million per year for the Government and US$27 Million, if the Agreement extends to three years. International energy experts have described this Agreement as the best energy contract ever signed in this country.

In 2012, officials in the former APC government entered into negotiations with the American company – Joules Corporation, who had promised to invest $800 million in developing Sierra Leone’s Bumbuna hydro-electricity dam.But sadly, the negotiations with Joules Corporation fell through, as greed and corruption once again reared their ugly head and got into the way of what could have been an opportunity for Bumbuna to have the capacity to generate and supply reliable electricity throughout the whole of Sierra Leone, with plenty in reserve for exporting to neighbouring countries.

Under Alhaji Kanja Sesay, construction of a second Bumbuna Hydro-Dam worth Eight Hundred Million United States Dollars by a private South African firm called SELI Hydropower is now a reality. Whilst making an official statement marking the occasion in August last year in Dian Chiefdom, the result-oriented Energy and Power Minister informed the mammoth gathering that his New Direction government, as with education, has the electrification of every corner of Sierra Leone as a fundamental socioeconomic transformation priority. Over four thousand jobs would come along with this Bumbuna Phase Two Project – Minister Kanja Sesay said.

The Executive Officer and shareholder of SELI Hydropower – Mr. Beckley informed the audience that his Company was in partnership with credible investors based in the United States of America. He explained that after a long and unnecessary delay on the part of the former APC government to build Bumbuna Phase Two, the new SLPP government through the Energy and Power Minister – Alhaji Kanja Sesay, has made it possible in a very short period of time; reiterating the benefits highlighted by the Minister.

With energy a priority for fast tracking overall national economic development, Parliament on Tuesday 10th July 2018, ratified a $59 Million finance loan agreement, which had previously been signed by the former Koroma led APC government and the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA), to improve access to electricity supply at a reasonable cost, through an integrated regional power-grid – the West African Power Pool Project. The loan agreement provided additional financing for the West African Power Pool, which is aimed at increasing power supply and improve access to electricity for millions of people across Ivory Coast, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.

In another electricity improvement development, the Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Finance, Public Private Partnership (PPP) and Energy Ministry Agencies (EDSA and EGTC) on Thursday 22nd November 2018, signed a 50-mw solar project agreement with Planet Solar Energy Sierra Leone. In his statement, the Country Manager of the Company (Planet Solar Energy), Mr. Johnny Dupigny registered the company’s commitment to the government’s Agenda adding that it is an effort to make more people get access to electricity nationwide. Mr. Dupigny disclosed that the project would deliver 50 mw solar systems across the country.

The Finance Minister, Mr. Jusu Saffa outlined the many gains the project can offer to the people which was why government has embarked on the inherited project. According to him, the gains include reduction of tariff, cost savings for government, protection of government revenue and risk guarantee shifted to the company instead of government.

Under Alhaji Kanja Sesay, Sierra Leone continues to assiduously seek ways and means and partners for expanding the country’s energy mix in order to strengthen generation and distribution in the rural areas in a bid to improve the socioeconomic condition of the people. Urging global partners to exploit and expand on renewable energy especially solar in Africa, at a three day long International Energy forum in Russia from 3rd – 6th October 2018, the Minister delivered a presentation on the proper exploitation and expansion of renewable energy (solar and hydro dams) in African countries through cooperation with experienced Western countries, noting that South Africa and Rwanda are among the leading countries for the production of solar energy.

Appealing to experienced countries in solar, Minister Kanja Sesay stressed the need for Russia and Africa to examine a new area of mutual beneficial cooperation based on long term strategies. He added that Sierra Leone has huge potential for hydro dams across the country. The Minister concluded that he has no doubt that Russia offers a number of competitive advantages as a partner, including experience in implementing large scale energy programs across vast territories and constructing grids. ‘This is something the African continent is in particular need of’, Minister Kanja Sesay said.

As Minister Sesay and the Energy Ministry continue to modernize and make the country’s energy sector productive and cost effective, the biggest challenge is rehabilitating and installing new distribution and transmission lines to serve Freetown and other communities across the country where previously electricity had been unavailable.

One can only count on the enthusiasm and sincere commitments of the Minister who truly demonstrates a New Direction visionary stance.