Sierra Leone's energy infrastructure
Sierra Leone's energy infrastructure is emerging from the devastation of a civil war that lasted from 1991 to 2002, which significantly damaged its electricity networks and power stations. Today, the country faces a critical energy crisis, characterized by low modern energy consumption rates and a reliance on traditional fuels such as fuelwood and kerosene, particularly in rural areas. As of 2022, only about 29.4% of the population had access to electricity, with rural access at a mere 5%, highlighting stark disparities between urban and rural energy access.
The national electricity generation capacity is primarily based on hydropower, which accounts for approximately 90.8% of the installed capacity, while other sources include fossil fuels, solar, and biomass. The National Power Authority is responsible for operating the main electricity networks, but frequent power outages and an inability to meet demand have created significant challenges for the population, particularly in urban centers. Efforts to rehabilitate the energy sector have been initiated through national policies aimed at enhancing sustainability and incorporating renewable energy solutions. Overall, energy remains a pivotal component for the socioeconomic development of Sierra Leone, as the country seeks to rebuild and improve the quality of life for its citizens.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Sierra Leone's energy infrastructure
Official Name: Republic of Sierra Leone.
Summary: After a decade-long civil war that ended in 2002, Sierra Leone is working to rehabilitate its energy infrastructure and diversify its energy mix through renewable energy sources.
Sierra Leone has substantial mineral, agricultural, and marine resources, including diamonds, rutile, bauxite, gold, and iron. However, the country is one of the least developed in the world. The Human Development Index (a measure of human well-being based on data from the United Nations Development Programme that takes into account such factors as life expectancy, literacy, education, and standard of living) ranked Sierra Leone 183rd of 192 countries in 2022. The majority of the population, particularly in rural areas, lives below the poverty line. Sierra Leone is gradually recovering from dramatic socioeconomic and political instability that culminated in an armed conflict lasting from 1991 to 2002. Energy will play a key role in the future socioeconomic development of the country. However, most of the energy infrastructure remains destroyed, and the country is facing a chronic energy crisis characterized by energy poverty, a lack of energy security, and scarce financial resources to reinvest in the sector.
Sierra Leone has some of the lowest modern energy consumption rates in the world. The vast majority of the population depends mainly on fuelwood for cooking and kerosene for lighting, which have negative consequences for the environment and quality of life. Significant energy access and energy pricing inequities exist between urban and rural areas. Whereas urban areas tend to use energy higher up in the energy ladder (electricity, charcoal, kerosene, and so forth), rural areas continue to rely on traditional biomass for meeting their energy requirements. Only 29.4 percent of the population had access to electricity as of 2022—about 5 percent in rural areas, where around 56 percent of the population lives.
Sierra Leone is therefore confronted with the reality of energy vulnerability, exacerbated by volatility in fuel prices and the unreliability of its electric system. The electricity industry is facing tremendous challenges from a growing gap between predicted demand (particularly in urban areas) and insufficient supply capacities. Electricity production remains far below the requirements of the economy and is not able to meet the basic human needs of the country’s 9.1 million people (as of 2024). Available generation capacities vary considerably in the face of technical and commercial losses of the electricity system (estimated at 76.158 million kilowatt hours in 2022) and the low capacity of some generation plants.
The electricity network serves only the main towns and suburbs. It consists of the western-area grid, centered in Freetown, and twelve provincial grids. Destruction during the armed conflict has left most of these networks and power stations in a state of total disrepair. The state-owned National Power Authority (NPA) operates the major electricity network in the Freetown area and a smaller one in the towns of Bo and Kenema through the Bo-Kenema Power Services (BKPS).
The chronic deficiencies in electric generation faced by Sierra Leone in the early twenty-first century led to frequent power outages and load shedding; customers were supplied, on average, only twelve hours over two days. By 2022, Sierra Leone had an installed electricity generation capacity of 138,000 kilowatt hours. Electricity production is predominantly dependent on hydropower, which, in 2022, accounted for approximately 90.8 percent of the nation's total installed capacity. Other electricity generation sources include fossil fuels (3.7 percent), solar (3 percent), and biomass and waste (2.5 percent).
Early policy instruments and legal and regulatory frameworks did not respond effectively to the energy crisis. In 2007, the government of Sierra Leone adopted the Energy Sector Emergency Plan. In 2009, the new National Energy Policy of Sierra Leone was passed, and the implementation of key power projects was accelerated. The new energy policy aimed for long-term sustainability and incorporated renewable energy alternatives, ultimately encouraging the rise of hydropower in the country.
Bibliography
Ritchie, Hannah and Max Roser. "Sierra Leone: Energy Country Profile." Our World in Data, 2020, ourworldindata.org/energy/country/sierra-leone. Accessed 6 Aug. 2024.
"Sierra Leone." CIA World Factbook, 31 July 2024, www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/sierra-leone. Accessed 6 Aug. 2024.
“Sierra Leone - Country Commercial Guide.” International Trade Administration, 17 Apr. 2024, www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/sierra-leone-market-overview?section-nav=9124. Accessed 6 Aug. 2024.
"Sierra Leone Poised to Transform Renewable Energy Sector with Strengthened Public and Private Sector Participation." African Development Bank Group, 21 Mar. 2016, www.afdb.org/en/news-and-events/sierra-leone-poised-to-transform-renewable-energy-sector-with-strengthened-public-and-private-sector-participation-15494. Accessed 6 Aug. 2024.