Sierra Leone Telegraph: 13 October 2021:
Sierra Leone’s Minister of Energy, Alhaji Kanja Sesay, has reiterated the commitment of the Government of Sierra Leone to ensuring that every area of the country is sustainably connected or networked to the country’s grid or mini grid, after signing a contract for the construction of a 225kva Double Circuit 66kv multi circular electricity transmission line with WAPCOS – a company from India.
Alhaji Kanja Sesay described last week’s signing as an historic day, adding that the project is one that he had inherited and treated with utmost seriousness.
He said the project will have far-reaching positive effects on the country’s power transmission and distribution of electricity across the country.
He emphasized to WAPCOS Limited that government’s overall policy objective in the energy sector is to increase energy access, noting however that transmission, distribution and evacuation issues have posed serious challenges to government’s efforts in the sector.
Mr. Sesay said that these challenges have necessitated the aggressive pursuit of rural electrification which provides electricity for majority of the people in the rural areas. He spoke about partnerships that his Ministry has established with private sector companies for the installation of mini grids in different parts of the country.
The Minister of Energy said the aim of the project is to set up a major transmission line in the country and congratulated WAPCOS on winning the contract. He said his Ministry will work with the company for the successful implementation of the project and praised the Indian EXIM Bank for the support given to the project.
Project Manager at the Ministry of Energy, Cyril Grant, said the project is of immense strategic significance to the Government of Sierra Leone, adding that apart from the 161 transmission lines which run from Bumbuna to Freetown, there is no other transmission line except the one that runs between Bo and Kenema.
He described the $78 million credit from the Indian Government for the project as huge, noting that the transmission line would bring power from the CLSG line to the Western Area as well as other areas like Lunsar, Kambia, Port Loko and Waterloo.
Mr. Grant described WAPCOS as a reputable Indian company that will be based in Sierra Leone for the entire duration of the project.
WAPCOS Limited Chief Engineer, Muthyala Manoj Kumar, said his company is happy to have been awarded the contract and assured that the company will complete the project on time.
Generation of energy is very expensive around the world, so I hope and pray that the mindset of our citizens will be transformed to believe that sustainable electricity supply is the responsibility of every citizen to pay their bills in order for the government to function. This is not a grant but a loan which should be paid back to the EXIM Bank of India.
Most of the monies that we receive from our donor partners are from their taxpayers.
Welcome news. I hope this project will be completed in record time to give our people the needed electricity supply they deserve.
Congratulations Mr minister, these are some of the deevelopments we like to see in this country and I wish I will be part of this project.