The Baoma 1 solar photovoltaic power plant in Sierra Leone is entering commercial operation. The 5 MWp plant was built under a public-private partnership (PPP) between the Sierra Leonean authorities and the independent power producer (IPP) Serengeti Energy.
In Sierra Leone, the first solar power plant developed by an independent power producer (IPP) is entering its operational phase. The Baoma 1 solar photovoltaic park is located in Yamandu, near the town of Bo. The 5 MWp solar plant will add 5% to Sierra Leone’s total electricity generation capacity. Currently, the West African country has less than 150 MW of capacity according to the United States’ International Trade Agency (ITA).
Baoma 1 is the first phase of a project that aims to achieve an installed capacity of 25 MWp, led by IPP Serengeti Energy. The Nairobi, Kenya-based company has several financial partners and investors, including Swedfund, Sweden’s development finance agency, the Norwegian Investment Fund for Developing Countries (NORFUND), Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), the German development agency.
Read also- SIERRA LEONE: $50m from IDA for access to electricity via solar off-grid
The project is also supported by the Nordic Development Fund (NDF), Stoa, a French impact fund specialised in infrastructure financing, and Proparco, the private sector financing arm of the French Development Agency t (AFD) group.
The electricity generated in the first phase will be used to expand access to electricity in the Bo-Kenema region of south-eastern Sierra Leone. Serengeti Energy plans to launch the second phase (20 MWp) of its project in 2023. The entire project will require an investment of $35 million.
Jean Marie Takouleu
