The World Bank has approved $60 million in financing to Sierra Leone under the first phase of the Regional Programme for Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Solutions (Regional DARES). The Sierra Leone allocation is part of a $200 million tranche that also includes Benin, the Central African Republic, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
It is part of the first phase of a broader regional program valued at US$853 million. This investment is part of Sierra Leone’s National Energy Compact under Mission 300 to improve access to electricity through distributed renewable technologies. Priority interventions in rural and underserved communities include solar home systems, mini-grids and other off-grid renewable energy.
Building out the national grid is expensive and technically challenging. Currently, only around 36 percent of Sierra Leone’s population has access to electricity. Regional DARES aims to turn this around by attracting another US$54 million in private investment and bringing reliable electricity to more than 1.2 million people and 24,000 businesses. The programme is aimed at supplying power to households, schools, health facilities and commercial establishments, thus improving the quality of life and service delivery in communities.
The programme will also stimulate economic growth by helping farmers, small businesses and cooperatives to raise productivity with reliable power, besides direct electrification, say World Bank and government officials. It is also anticipated to generate employment opportunities, especially for young people and women, along the renewable energy value chain, including installation, operation and maintenance, as well as local manufacturing and distribution. The funding will help Sierra Leone move to cleaner and climate-resilient energy systems.
The Ministry of Energy, on behalf of His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio and the Government of Sierra Leone, expressed appreciation to the World Bank Group and partner organisations for their support in securing the financing. Hon. Cyril Grant, Minister of Energy, said, “The approval of the Regional DARES is another big step towards achieving universal access to electricity in Sierra Leone. “Distributed renewables are the quickest way to get to many of our rural communities and the most efficient way.
This investment will deliver reliable electricity to homes, schools, health facilities and businesses, and will also create opportunities for economic growth. “We are determined to ensure that these resources are for the people of Sierra Leone. The regional DARES is defined on the basis of recent reform and investments in the energy sector, such as the Respite Project, and ongoing efforts to strengthen the electricity sector and increase private sector participation. The World Bank-backed initiative is viewed as a critical part of a concerted push to speed up electrification and the development of sustainable, decentralised power solutions in the region.
