Chinese manufacturer Sungrow has commissioned a large-scale solar-plus-storage project in Sierra Leone.
According to an update from the company, the project is the first national-scale power generation project connected to the country’s grid in nearly a decade.
The World Bank-backed project features a solar array, of an undisclosed capacity, tied to 35 MWh energy storage system that integrates eight units of Sungrow’s PowerTitan Series ESS.
Sierra Leone has one of the lowest electricity access rates globally, with around 90% of those with access located in the capital, Freetown, and only five of the 16 regional capitals receiving partial electricity supply from diesel generators and hydropower facilities. The national grid records daily power outages of up to 18 hours.
Sungrow leveraged its PowerTitan’s black start and independent off-grid capabilities to implement an emergency response strategy during project implementation.
“Through the system’s black start capability, it can automatically switch to black start mode and establish a microgrid without external grid support, using solar power to support onsite loads and create a stable electrical environment for commissioning,” a statement from the company explains.
The project forms part of the Sierra Leone government’s Regional Emergency Solar Power Intervention Project, or RESPITE, a World Bank initiative aiming to increase the country’s national electricity access rate from 16% to 36%. Details on the government’s website add the project saw the inauguration of two solar projects – the 30 MW Newton solar power plant and 10 MW Lungi solar power plant – in June.
The Africa Solar Industry Association (AFSIA) has identified 364 MW of operational solar in Sierra Leone, according to figures in its online project database, the majority of which is unidentified projects in the commercial and industrial market. It says a further 62 MW of solar are under construction.
AFSIA’s database adds that 28 MWh of battery storage is operational in the country, with a further 18.4 MWh under construction.
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