Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Energy has released its weekly energy status update for the period of March 9th to 15th, revealing consistent power generation alongside ongoing efforts to address load-shedding challenges in Freetown.

The report indicates that power generation has remained stable over the past three weeks, with the majority of electricity being produced by multiple Independent Power Producers (IPPs). Notably, Karpower contributed 40% of the total generation, while the CLSG (Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea) power pool accounted for 24.3%.

Other sources included EGTC (Electricity Generation and Transmission Company) provinces (9.7%), Makalie Solar (9.7%), EGTC Kingtom (6.7%), and Solar Mini-grids (4.9%).

However, the Ministry acknowledges that dry season supply to Freetown remains constrained. Contractual arrangements are underway to secure additional electricity from the CLSG power pool and new power stations in the Western Area.

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The Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA) introduced its initial load shedding schedule during the reporting period. However, the public response has been mixed, with concerns raised about service reliability, network issues, and inconsistencies in the schedule.

The Ministry of Energy is actively collaborating with EDSA to develop a refined Version 2 of the load shedding schedule, aiming to address the public’s concerns. Both the Ministry and EDSA leadership are closely monitoring the situation and are committed to improving service delivery.

The Ministry’s report also provided details on nighttime load shedding by substations in Freetown:

Aberdeen: 70%
Blackhall Road: 30%
Brookfields: 41%
Congo Cross: 65%
Falcon Bridge: 61%
Kingtom: 30%
Goderich: 46%
Lumley: 59%
Regent: 62%
Roportee: 44%
Wellington: 47%
Wilberforce: 33%

The target for outages is set at zero total outages and a limit of 50% for partial outages by June 2020. During the reporting week, there were 6 partial outages.

The Ministry of Energy assures the public that efforts are ongoing to ensure a more reliable and consistent electricity supply, particularly during the challenging dry season.