At a glance
Energy access in Sierra Leone increased since 2000, although it remains pretty low in absolute terms. The rate of access in urban areas doubled by 2016 and reached 46%, while in rural areas remained mostly absent. Access to clean cooking solutions is also very limited both in urban and rural areas.
The Energy system of Sierra Leone face many challenges including: a ruined transmission and distribution system with very high technical and commercial losses, insufficient generation capacity, low voltage quality, seasonal variability in hydro production and institutional and regulatory constraints.
Sierra Leone developed a SEforALL Action Agenda in the framework of the regional ECOWAS coordinated approach for the implementation of the SEforALL initiative in the region that was led by ECREEE and included also the development of national Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Action Plans. The Action Agenda envisages to reach near universal access to electricity by 2030 (92%), with a strong contribution of green mini grids and isolated system that will account for 37% of the total access figures. The Agenda also foresees a strong increase in renewable hydro production that should surpass 5’000 GWh in 2030, from 150 GWh in 2013, this would allow to keep more than 90% of electricity produced by hydro sources in 2030. The Country is also developing the Investment Prospectus through a coordinated regional effort led by ECREEE.
Location
Country contacts
Director of Energy
(Ministry of Energy & Water Resources)
| SEforALL Action Agenda Objectives | 2030 |
|---|---|
| Electricity Access, national | 92% |
| Access to clean cooking, national | n.a. |
| Renewable Energy Output | 86.8% |
| Renewable Energy Consumption | n.a. |
| Energy Efficiency | n.a. |
| Country Action Documents | Status |
|---|---|
| Rapid Assessment | Finalized |
| Action Agenda | Finalized |
| Investment Prospectus | Finalized |
Documents
- Sierra Leone: Rapid Assessment Gap Analysis (1.53 MB)
- Sierra Leone: Action Agenda (0.94 MB)
- Sierra Leone: Investment Prospectus (1.29 MB)
- Sierra Leone National Energy Efficiency Action Plan (541 kB)
- Sierra Leone National Renewable Energy Action Plans (872 kB)
Country statistics
| Series | 2010 | 2012 | 2014 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Access to electricity (% of population) | 13.9% | 13.5% | 13.1% | 20.3% |
| Urban (% of urban population) | 34.3% | 39.8% | 42.2% | 46.9% |
| Rural (% of rural population) | 0.9% | 0.9% | 1.0% | 2.5% |
| Access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking (% of population) | 0.5% | 0.7% | 0.8% | 1% |
| Population, total | 5.8 Million | 6.0 Million | 6.3 Million | 7.4 Million |
| Renewable energy consumption (% of total final energy consumption) | 84.2% | 78.4% | 73.1% | - |
| Renewable electricity output (% of total electricity output) | 87.4% | 66.1% | 65.4% | - |
| Electric power consumption (kWh per capita) | - | - | - | - |
