Defence and Energy Ministries Discuss Large-Scale Power Projects, Solarising Military Barracks

Lieutenant General A.I. Bangura, Chief of Defence Staff, and Hon. Cyril A. Grant, Minister of Energy, met in the Ministry of Energy conference room to discuss a strategic, high-level partnership to increase power generation capacity and transition military barracks to solar-powered microgrids. Senior officials from both ministries, along with a technical delegation from Defence Enterprise Solutions (DES), SCG Deck, and FASOSMART, attended.
Major General SDT Ngaojah, Brig. General M.B.S. Kamara, Colonel F.S. Aruna, and Brigadier General R.R. Gibrudo. The Ministry of Energy was represented by Dr Steven Jusu, Ing. Benjamin Kamara and Lawrence Amara. The proposal, which the defence and energy sectors have discussed for 10 months, was a complex one offered by the DES-led delegation.
Lt. Gen. Bangura said the military’s interest was part of a broader vision for energy independence and increased public-sector efficiency. He told the meeting that many military barracks consume huge volumes of unmetered electricity without corresponding tariff settlement, imposing a major financial burden on the state. To address this, the RSLAF advocates converting all barracks to off-grid solar micro-grids with prepaid “top-up” metering. “This will ensure accountability in the use of energy and reduce waste in the military. “Also, in peacetime, the military will be in line with the government’s policy of Ministries, Departments and Agencies supporting the national goals of energy and food security,” the Chief of Defence Staff said.
The DES is the Ministry of Defence’s commercial arm and oversees subsidiaries in agriculture, energy, construction, and road building. It presented a comprehensive portfolio of proposed projects for strategic consideration. The package includes a 100 megawatt (MW) utility-scale solar development on two adjacent 50 MW plots under a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) arrangement; a 250 MW gas-fired power plant designed to add critical baseload capacity to the national grid; and a 300 MW wastewater-to-energy project, which would commence with a 50 MW pilot, proposed to the government at no direct financial cost.
SCG Deck, a consortium with French-trained engineers and experience in electrification in neighbouring Guinea, said it had already completed pre-feasibility studies, interconnection studies, and draft Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). The company said it is now conducting geotechnical soil testing at the proposed solar sites. If a deal was struck in a formal contract, the first 50 MW of solar power could be up and running in full in 12 to 18 months, SCG Deck said.
Hon. Cyril A. Grant welcomed the move and commended the RSLAF leadership for taking a proactive strategy for reducing public expenditure and improving operational efficiency. Meanwhile, the Minister said that government policy places stringent constraints on new Independent Power Producer (IPP) projects. These limitations safeguard utility solvency, preserve the affordability of consumer tariffs, and ensure the long-term viability of generation investments linked to the national grid.
The two ministries also agreed on several immediate steps to advance the proposal through technical and regulatory review. It was agreed to immediately nominate a Technical Point of Contact from the Ministry of Energy. SCG Deck and DES were given 14 days to submit a complete technical and financial package for their proposed projects. The parties also agreed to form a Joint Technical and Financial Evaluation Committee, including representatives of the Electricity and Water Regulatory Commission (EWRC), to study issues such as tariff structure and grid evacuation capacity.
The meeting concluded with a mutual commitment to pursue solutions that advance national interests and contribute to Sierra Leone’s stable, sustainable electricity supply. The defence and energy ministries are now in the formal evaluation stage, following major technical studies and a schedule for submissions and committee review, to assess the feasibility of integrating military-led efforts with national power sector growth.