Sierra Leone’s new 40MW solar project is set to help the country reduce daily power outages impacting telecommunications, digital services and other sectors.
August 17, 2026
Sierra Leone's newest solar project is set to help the country reduce daily power outages, which impact many sectors, including telecommunications, manufacturing, digital services, education and healthcare.
The 40 megawatt (MW) solar project, which became fully operational last month, was built at a cost of US$65 million.
It is made up of a 10MW solar photovoltaic (PV) generation plant in the coastal town of Lungi and a 30MW PV generation plant in the city of Newton.
As a result, the two plants are already feeding into the 161 kilovolt (kV) transmission line and 33kV distribution line respectively.
In addition, both solar plants have a combined energy storage system (ESS) of 35-megawatt-hour (MWh).
Funded by the World Bank, through the Regional Emergency Solar Power Intervention (RESPITE) Project, the government and green energy multinational company Sungrow began the 40MW solar project in 2024.
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The main objective of RESPITE is to increase electricity access rates, improve the financial performance of Sierra Leone's power sector and further improve the technical and commercial performance of the Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA).
Sierra Leone has a population of 9 million people but according to EDSA only 23% of the population has access to electricity, representing one of the lowest electrification rates in West Africa.
According to the World Bank, the solar project is expected to increase Sierra Leone's national electricity access rate to 36%, significantly improving power availability and delivering stable electricity to households, schools and healthcare facilities, as well as commercial and industrial users.
"Expanding access to reliable renewable energy is essential for job creation and economic transformation," said Franz Drees-Gross, World Bank Africa West director for infrastructure.
"By bringing electricity to households, businesses, farms, and public institutions, this will unlock new livelihood opportunities, support entrepreneurs, and enable communities to move from subsistence to more productive economic activities," added Drees-Gross.
Furthermore, the solar project is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, supporting both climate resilience and the transition to low‑carbon development.
In an interview with Connecting Africa, Mohamed Kamara, founder, CEO and director of Crest Tech Innovation, said the solar project is a very important development for Sierra Leone.
"The commissioning of the national-scale solar-plus-storage project represents a significant step towards diversifying our electricity generation and improving the resilience of the national power system," said Kamara.
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In addition, Kamara said the most important aspect of the solar project is not only the amount of electricity being generated, but the combination of solar generation and battery storage, noting that the ESS can help the system manage fluctuations in renewable generation and make better use of solar power.
"This is particularly important for Sierra Leone because the country continues to face challenges related to generation capacity, transmission infrastructure, seasonal hydropower variations, and access to reliable electricity," he said.
Furthermore, Kamara noted that reliable electricity is an enabler of education, digital services, healthcare, businesses, telecommunications, manufacturing and technology development.
The country is working on a just energy transition away from fossil fuels, with the government targeting 85% renewable energy capacity by 2030.
To date, total installed generation capacity is under 250MW, of which between 100MW and 150MW is available at any given time, with energy consumption dominated by fuelwood and petroleum imports.
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Electricity is primarily sourced from the Bumbuna Hydroelectric Plant, and during the dry season, there are significant transmission and distribution losses.
Thermal plants also contribute to the national grid; however, due to their reliance on fuel, the ongoing conflict in Iran and the Ukraine-Russia war have had a detrimental effect on the country's national grid due to the fluctuating oil prices.
Hydropower contributes approximately 50MW during the rainy season, and thermal generation provides between 30MW and 80MW.
As a result, five of the 16 regional capitals receive partial electricity supply from the hydro-thermal mix, with very little going to rural households.
Sierra Leone new solar project is expected to significantly improve power availability in the West African country. (Source: Image by ASphotofamily on Magnific)
SUMTECH Renewable and Electrical Installation told Connecting Africa that the solar project is vital because EDSA doesn't have constant power supply, but the company noted that the 40MW project cannot completely solve the country's blackouts.
However, Kamara said the solar project is an important foundation and catalyst for the establishment of future projects that can help EDSA generate more electricity.
"Sierra Leone needs to continue increasing its renewable energy capacity while reducing its dependence on expensive fossil-fuel-based generation," said Kamara.
"Solar is particularly attractive because it can be deployed at different scales, from utility-scale projects to mini-grids and smaller systems for schools, health centers, businesses, and communities," he added.
Moreover, Kamara said Sierra Leone has enormous potential to become a stronger renewable energy market in West Africa, provided there is infrastructure investment with good governance, private-sector participation, technical capacity, community engagement and policies that encourage long-term investment.
"I believe Sierra Leone needs a diversified national energy strategy rather than depending on one source of generation," added Kamara.
According to the International Trade Admission, the country's abundant untapped renewable energy resources, including over 1,000MW of hydropower potential, 240MW in solar radiation, and biomass from agricultural waste, offer significant opportunities for clean and sustainable energy development.
Though electricity demand is projected to increase significantly to between 300MW and 500MW by 2030, the combined potential of over 1,240MW can significantly ease the electricity crisis and even offer the country an opportunity to generate revenue by exporting its electricity to neighboring countries.
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Daniel Itai
Special Correspondent, Connecting Africa
Daniel is a freelance writer and African podcaster.
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