Sierra Leone’s Minister of Energy, Alhaji Kanja Sesay, has commissioned a renewable solar energy facility at Miro Forestry, Mile 91, that would help the company to deliver on its commitment to sustainability and in ensuring that a sizable contribution of its demand is now met by renewable energy.

Giving the background of the project, Head of Energy Policy and Regulatory Affairs at CrossBoundary Energy, Tessa Lee, said her company was an investment firm and a developer, owner and operator of solar solutions for businesses across Africa.

She said that the company had a portfolio of $190 million worth of projects being developed for big industrial partners across the continent, adding that they were working with Miro in Sierra Leone in fulfillment of their flagship project in the country.

Madam Tessa Lee went on to say that CrossBoundary Energy had fully financed a solar solution of about 236kwh of clean reliable power as well as a battery component for Miro.

She praised Sierra Leone’s regulatory environment which she said was conducive, supportive and encouraging, noting that her company was preparing to launch another project with Zoolabs and was looking forward to hosting a policy workshop with the Electricity and Water Regulatory Commission, EWRC.

While delivering his keynote address, Energy Minister, Alhaji Kanja Sesay, congratulated Miro Forestry on having the lagest forestry plantation in the subregion and on working assiduously to meet international standards in respect of responsible forestry management.

“Today’s event follows a very recent visit by President Julius Maada Bio at Miro in which he addressed the critical challenge of deforestation facing our country and the impact it has on our carbondioxide emissions,”Mr. Sesay noted, adding that the President had expressed the hope that forest plantations like Miro Forestry would help reverse a broader trend of environmental degradation.

He said the installation of a solar energy system and its ancillary battery component at Miro was an indication of the continuation of a more positive trend in relation to renewable energy in Sierra Leone.

“Under President Bio’s New Direction administration,Sierra Leone’s renewable energy sector has risen to the clean energy challenge. We have increased the share of renewable energy in our generation mix from 25% in 2018 to 35% in 2022, with the aim of reaching 80% by 2030,” the Energy Minister stated.

Mr. Sesay said his country could now boast of having the largest rollout of renewable energy projects in the subregion, adding that his Ministry was committed to providing more affordable, clean and safer energy to citizens.

He praised CrossBoundary Energy for being a pioneer in the arena of renewable energy and assured the company of government’s moves to encourage and sustain private sector investments in the renewable energy space.

“This project has been granted a five-year generation licence…..This project therefore has the full support of the Ministry of Energy,”he concluded.

The energy sector reforms continue.

# From the Ministry of Energy.