Project Information Document - Enhancing Sierra Leone Energy Access - P171059

Oversight of the sector falls under the Ministry of Energy (MoE) and the Electricity and Water Regulatory Commission (EWRC), which was created in 2014 by the Electricity Act and has the mandate to independently regulate the sector. [...] The grid extension component supports the Government’s efforts to double the electricity access rate by extending the activities under ESURP, capitalizing on the electricity which could be imported through the CLSG interconnection and targeting the major towns which are close to the transmission network and have the lowest unit cost of providing electricity service and yield the highest economic a [...] The proposed project directly supports three key energy sector objectives of the Government outlined in the MTNDP: (a) electrification of all district headquarters which is a key element of the country’s electrification strategy; (b) the increase of rural electrification through engagement and involvement of key stakeholders including private sector; and (c) improvement of the financial performanc [...] The GoSL is financing the construction of the distribution networks in the four towns and have selected the contractors through a competitive process and signed the contracts. [...] The ENIP identified the ongoing and planned high voltage transmisison lines across the country, including the CLSG line and the 225 Fadugu-Freetown line, the subtransmisison lines and medium voltage distribution lines, and the distribution networks which would be required to provide grid electricity to the district headquarter towns and communities where population, industrial and commercial activ