Oswald Dundas Seawater Energy Solution Wins $5000 from Mercury Freetown Pitch Night

On Wednesday, October 11, 2023, Oswald Dundas became the third winner of Mercury International’s Freetown Pitch Night’s USD 5000 grant prize. His winning idea focused on harnessing renewable energy from seawater to address the challenges of costly and unstable electricity supply in Sierra Leone. This initiative, which he started in 2018, aims to provide affordable power, especially to those in rural areas, where access to electricity is limited.

“Electricity is very expensive, recently the Electricity Distribution and Supply Authorities (EDSA) have increased the cost of the tariff, but water is always available, and if we are able to use it to generate power it will be very affordable for us all,” said Dundas. 

According to the World Bank, Sierra Leone currently has only 23 percent of its population with access to electricity, primarily in urban areas. Dundas aspires to impact over 30,000 people across the country with his innovative energy solution within the next five years. 

However, the Freetown Pitch Night has been around for years, this edition is a partnership with Mercury International which pledged a USD 25,000 grant to support Sierra Leonean startups in 2023. Dundas competed against five other entrepreneurs who presented diverse ideas, including skincare products, educational support and among others.

Mercury International’s Managing Director, Martin Michael, emphasized the company’s commitment to supporting the entrepreneurial ecosystem as part of their corporate social responsibility. This initiative complements their previous efforts, such as building schools, offering scholarships, subsidizing medical expenses, and contributing to tree planting in Freetown.

The two previous pitch nights were won by Emily Fanday and Franklyn Momoh. Mercury International and Freetown Pitch Night will host two more pitching events this year, and prospective participants should stay updated on Freetown Pitch Night’s social media channels for announcements.