Ministry of Energy Press Conference on the Status of the Energy Sector.

Key Takeaways

Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella confirmed that the Karpowership has been shut down and is currently providing only 6MW as of Friday, 13th June 2025.

Due to proactive planning and preparedness by the Energy Sector, Freetown has been supplied with sufficient electricity, mitigating the full impact of the Karpowership shutdown.

Dr. Yumkella outlined the current electricity sources for Freetown:

  Bumbuna: 18.6MW

  CLSG: 23MW

  Nigata Machine at Kingtom: 9MW

 Karpowership: 5.6MW

  Total: 56.29MW

An additional 10MW has been secured from Guinea to support Sierra Leone’s energy generation, with negotiations ongoing to finalize costs.

The Blackhall Road Power Plant, a nationally owned facility, will undergo repairs within three months, with spare parts already in the country. Once operational, it will contribute 16MW.

Dr. Yumkella clarified that the government has paid approximately $320 million to Karpowership over the past six years, emphasizing that this arrangement is not economically sustainable for Sierra Leone.

Deputy Minister of Energy I, Edmond Nonie, announced plans to inspect meters at major EDSA customers, including factories and hotels, to ensure accurate billing. EDSA serves 350,000 customers, with 700 large customers accounting for 40% of its revenue.

The Ministry of Energy will decentralize EDSA’s customer care services, which are currently centralized at Electricity House in Freetown, to improve accessibility.

© Ministry of Information and Civic Education