By: PI-CREF Communication Unit
The Danish Energy Agency (DEA), a member of the Accelerated Partnerships for Renewables in Africa (APRA), has announced a targeted technical assistance program to support the operations of the Electricity Distribution and Supply Agency (EDSA) and its operations through the Grid Loss Reduction Technical Assistance Programme (GLRTAP) on Monday 18 November 2024.
The announcement made by DEA’s Director of Global Cooperation, Mr. Carl-Christian Munk-Nielsen, noted that with the support, Denmark hopes to contribute to the transformational energy transition pathway Sierra Leone has embarked on under the leadership of President Julius Maada Bio by training and empowering EDSA staff in the office and technicians in the field with the requisite knowledge to manage the agency’s technical and commercial losses. Munk-Nielsen said, “This will help alleviate Sierra Leone’s critical energy supply situation. “Munk-Nielsen was accompanied by Aisma Vitina, Chief Advisor and Head of APRA Secretariat in Copenhagen.
Munk-Nielsen’s announcement was part of a series of actions disclosed by partners at the just concluded National Climate Resilience and Energy Transition Dialogue organized by the Presidential Initiative on Climate Change, Renewable Energy and Food Security (PI-CREF) held at the Freetown International Conference Centre, Aberdeen. Under the leadership of His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio, PI-CREF mobilizes international partnerships and resources through the strong relationships it builds and maintains for the successful implementation of programmes.
The cooperation between Sierra Leone and Denmark has netted a 2 million EURO programme for Early Childhood Education through UNICEF and a 3 million EURO grant for green energy projects facilitated through the European Union by improving institutional capacity at EDSA and providing hands-on training for O&M technicians at EDSA. Danish experts are expected to arrive in Freetown for their first diagnostic mission from November 23 – December 4.
The CRET is an annual gathering of climate, energy, and food security experts, including governments, civil society organizations, and the private sector, to foster open dialogue and mobilize large-scale investments to accelerate Sierra Leone’s energy transition and climate action.
