By: Thaimu Bai Sesay
On Monday 25th November 2024, the Sixth Parliament of Sierra Leone under the leadership of the Rt. Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas has unanimously approved five related agreements that would be providing affordable and sustainable renewable energy to the people of Lungi and Waterloo.
The landmark solar energy agreements ratified, proposed to generate 65 megawatt solar power grid for the people of Lungi, Kaffu Bullom Chiefdom, and 15-30 megawatt solar power grid for the people of Waterloo, Western Area, all at a low cost of 11 cent per 1 kilowatt per hour and with a promise of further reducing it so a single digit.
The five agreements were: a power purchase agreement by and between the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Energy, EDSA and Innoven SAS Waterloo Solar Park Limited relating to the 15-30 megawatt solar power grid connected through Newton to Waterloo, Samuel Town in the Western Area of Sierra Leone: implementation agreement…; power purchase agreement by and between Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Energy, EDSA and Lungi Power Development Limited relating to the 65 megawatt grid solar plant and battery storage solution and related infrastructure at Lungi Kaffu Bullom Chiefdom; interconnection agreement between Electricity Generation and Transmission Company and EDSA and Lungi Power Development Limited relating to the 65 megawatt… ; and connection agreement by and between EDSA and Innoven Waterloo Solar Park Limited relating to the 15-30 megawatt solar power grid…
During the debate before ratifying the agreements presented by the Deputy Minister of Energy, Parliamentarians from both sides of the House, highly commended the Government, Ministry of Energy and the Private Sector (Innoven) for such agreements, recognizing the dire need of electricity in the two important places.
The Leader of Opposition in Parliament Hon. Abdul Kargbo representing the people of Port Loko expressed that the agreements the Government has entered into are good ones recalling the tragic situations of climate change the country had been suffering from. As the Government is constraining with resources he affirmed that it is good to partner with the private sector especially in such agreements of high need.
Hon. Abdul Kargbo underscored that Lungi is the gateway to Sierra Leone and that it must not be allowed to go dark, adding that first impression goes a long way. Hon. Abdul Kargbo praised the proposed tariff and said the agreement is one that the people of Lungi stand to hugely benefits from. He urged for effective and efficient agreements to prevent unforeseen circumstances and called the House to speedily approve the agreements.
Hon. Rebecca Yei Kamara representing the People of Kono also praised the agreements, especially the one between the Government Ministries and the Innoven SAS Waterloo Solar Park ltd for the people of Waterloo. She said a lot of goods particularly food stuffs are coming from that part of the country but due to electricity constraints they could not preserve them. Hon. Rebecca assured that with the energy agreements at hand they would be able to preserve all those commodities that easily spoil. She also praised the friendly tariff which she assured that the people would be able to afford. Hon. Rebecca thanked the Government, the Ministry of Energy and the Innoven Solar Company.
“We have to celebrate these agreements as a nation because they are not only going to benefit the people of Lungi and Waterloo but the country as a whole. What I see in these agreements are projects that are going to benefits the people of Lungi and Waterloo,” the APC Hon. Abdul Karim Kamara from Kambia praised the agreements as he said they needed not to waste anytime in approving them.
Other Hon. Members of Parliament from both spectrum also commended the agreements between the Government Ministries and the Innoven Solar and Lungi Power Development Limited. They all expressed the high need of electricity in both Lungi and Waterlo