The Energy Sector Lead Dr. Kandeh Yumkella told listeners and viewers that: ‘Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA) customer base had increased from 150,000 to a little over 400,000’, adding that such an expansion in the customer base had rendered the emergency power system that the country has been operating on for over two decades untenable, unrealistic, and unprofitable.
Dr. Yumkella as assured the people of Sierra Leone that his sector was working overtime in implementing policy, administrative and technical reforms consistent with the energy sovereignty aspirations of His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio.
Dr. Yumkella was speaking on the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation, SLBC, Morning Coffee radio program and the Africa Young Voices, AYV, television where he updated citizens on the general or nationwide lay of the energy land and the gradual but aggressive and efficacious reforms that were taking place in the energy sector.
He said his team had considered it ill-advised to continue extending the contract with the Karpowership by the usual 5-year period, adding that because they were exploring ways of transitioning from emergency power,they had only extended the contract of Karpowership by one year.
He, however, expressed gratitude to Karpowership for being on hand and for diligently serving the country for the past eight years, stressing that the relationship between the Karpowership and the Government of Sierra Leone was one of mutual respect and partnership.
Dr. Yumkella said the one-year extension will give the Ministry of Energy the opportunity and the impetus to accelerate completion of ongoing projects, noting that by January 2026, Freetown will benefit from another 56MW from newly installed sources.
On alternative energy sources, Dr. Yumkella said plans were afoot to tap into the hydropower and renewable energy potentials of the country in the forms of biomass and solar energy, describing these sources as cheaper. He said, this year, the Ministry, with support from the EU, will roll out slightly over 50 mini grids nationwide.
On generation, metering, energy programs and sector reforms, Dr. Yumkella said they had put together what he called the new Sierra Leone Energy Mission 300 Compact, assuring citizens that new sources of generation will be turned on within the next couple of months.
He explained that a special electricity court will be established to specifically deal with cases relating to electricity theft, noting further that consumer protection or the rights of consumers will equally be considered.
He spoke about administrative, institutional and policy reforms aimed at cutting or reducing EDSA’s technical and commercial losses and appealed to citizens to continue having faith in the sector.
He called on private sector players to invest in the sector and assured that the cities of Bo and Kenema will soon have a transformative energy project commissioned; further indicating that proposal for the expansion of the Dodo hydropower dam was under consideration.
With the energy sector and the ‘Feed Salone’ agenda being inextricably linked, reforms continue in the sector.
