Sierra Leone, and two other countries to benefit from USD 10.4 million grant for renewable energy development

The Universal Energy Facility (UEF), a multi-donor results-based financing facility overseen by Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), is preparing to enter into grant agreements with mini-grid companies in Sierra Leone, Madagascar, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). 

The primary objective of these grants is to support the construction of solar-powered mini-grids in communities that currently lack access to clean energy. These communities heavily rely on polluting energy sources such as diesel generators, petrol generators, charcoal, and firewood.

With a total project cost of USD 10.4 million, the UEF will facilitate 17,682 electricity connections across the three countries, distributed among six companies. The beneficiary companies will construct and commission 29 mini-grids, generating an estimated 3.7 MegaWatts of renewable energy, which will bring significant benefits to over 88,000 people residing in 29 communities.

Anita Otubu, the Senior Director of the UEF, emphasized the significance of this initiative, stating that access to clean energy is a transformative step that fosters economic growth, empowers women, reduces CO2 emissions, and creates employment opportunities.

Since 2020, the UEF has already committed over USD 2 million in grant agreements for the implementation of mini-grid projects in Sierra Leone.

Sierra Leone has ambitious plans to increase its national electrification rate to 92 per cent by 2030, considering the current access rate is a mere 26 per cent, which drops to just 5 per cent in rural areas. To achieve this goal, the UEF is preparing to sign a grant agreement worth USD 706,000 with Energicity (SL) Limited. 

The project aims to develop seven mini-grids, providing 1,193 electricity connections and delivering 0.2 MegaWatts of renewable energy capacity, significantly impacting the lives of nearly 6,000 people in the country.