Trevor Young: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 8 February 2026:
I had a very promising and honest conversation with Edmond B Nonie – Deputy Minister of Energy I.
It was good news mixed with hard truths about why electricity remains unstable in Freetown, the Western Area, and across Sierra Leone.
Freetown’s population has grown far faster than the grid. The current electricity production is around 70 megawatts, while demand is closer to 200 megawatts.
Details were shared that by June, new solar plants in Newton and Lungi will come online.
By December, a major gas and solar projects will add significant capacity resulting in more than 120 megawatts of new power added to the grid, with even more added in mid-2027.
Transmission, another weak point was also discussed.
Freetown relied heavily on limited routes and a single critical injection point at King Tom, with no redundancy.
A transmission loop around the Western Area has now been completed, allowing power to come from multiple sources and improving overall grid stability.
Finally, electricity distribution remains the toughest challenge.
While households are often blamed, the biggest losses come from large companies bypassing meters, sometimes through collusion with EDSA personnel.
To address this, the government plans to privatize the management of EDSA while keeping all assets government owned, with strict performance targets tied to reducing losses and blackouts.
Nationwide, electricity penetration is currently about 36 percent. The Ministry’s target is to reach 80 percent by 2030.
It’s also worth noting that five cities already enjoy relatively stable electricity, including Makeni, Bo, Kenema, Kono, and Magburaka.
Starting in March, the Ministry will start publishing clear blackout schedules, so people can plan accordingly.
I will make sure to follow up on this. The ministry asks for our collective patience, …by June there will be noticable improvement, …by December, significantly less blackouts, …and by 2027, a far more stable electricity system.
Now that we have a clear timeline provided by the Ministry of Energy, …we will make sure to observe and monitor the implementation.
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