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.
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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