Kingtom & Blackhall Road Power Stations To Be Revived

By Musa Kamara

The Energy Sector Lead and Chairman of the Energy Governance Coordinating Group, Dr. Kandeh Yumkella has revealed to the press that, speedy efforts are on the way to revamp the Kingtom and the Blackhall Road Generators that will produce a combine 25 Megawatts of electricity supply for residents in Freetown.
Speaking at the weekly government press briefing on Tuesday December 3rd 2024, Dr. Yumkella emphasized that, “there are no quick fixes in the energy sector, and we are having an energy pandemic, but we are working on addressing those challenges.”
Giving update from the recent Presidential Energy Sector retreat, Chairman Yumkella stated that, among the tasked given to them by President Bio included the completion of the revamping of the Kingtom and Blackhall road generators within six months to ensure there is reliable electricity supply in Freetown. Also, among their outcomes, today, the sector will be launching the RESPITE project at Newton and Lungi that will produce a combine 40 Megawatts to serve residents of Lungi and Freetown, the completion of the seven districts solarisation in Headquarter towns, all to be achieved within 12 to 18 months from now.
Among the series of plans to be achieved in the long term include; the completion of the Nant Energy (83 Megawatts) the upgrade of the Dodo dam to produce 12 Megawatts, the upgrade of Bumbuma 1 to produce 120 Megawatts, the implementation of the over 200 Mini-grid projects and the establishment of a Renewable Energy Agency. “All seems ambitious, but they are something the President is determined and has asked us to ensure we complete them,” said Chairman Yumkella.
“We are to be held accountable for all that we are responsible for. So, don’t hesitate to ask us about this timeline the President has set for us,” said Dr. Yumkella when speaking about being held to account on their deliverables. He said as a sector, they will be having regular update for the media and public on their work as that is to ensure they are held to account on their job.
Sierra Leone is hosting key global energy stakeholders at a World Bank-led meeting, dubbed #Mission300, which includes participants from seven countries. This initiative aims to devise solutions to combat Africa’s energy poverty in the near future.
The government of Sierra Leone, under President Bio’s leadership, is taking significant steps to resolve its energy crisis, with the potential to influence the broader region. This includes a clearly defined Just Energy Transition Plan and a dedicated team focused on addressing the challenges without resorting to quick fixes.