By: Ecofin Agency

Sierra Leone has started work to prepare its electricity grid for the 108.4 MW NANT power plant, a major capacity addition for a country where available generation remains just above 140 MW.

The Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA) said it would carry out work from August 12 to 14 to prepare for the integration of the plant, now under construction at Kissy in eastern Freetown.

The work concerns the 33 kV Blackhall Road-Ropoti sub-transmission line, which currently crosses the project site. EDSA plans to relocate the line and convert it into an underground cable. The infrastructure will then serve as a permanent connection between the Blackhall Road and Ropoti substations.

Developed by CECA SL Generation, the combined-cycle power plant reached financial close in November 2024. Its financing includes $292 million in debt from the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), $40 million from the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development, and $85 million in equity from TCQ Power and Anergi.

The first electricity deliveries are expected in the third quarter of 2027. The project comes as Sierra Leone faces a significant gap between installed and available generation capacity. According to the country’s National Energy Compact, Sierra Leone has about 271 MW of installed capacity, but just over 140 MW is effectively available.

Freetown aims for a major expansion by 2030. Under Mission 300, authorities target 1.12 GW of installed capacity, up from 271 MW, while the electricity access rate is expected to rise from 36% to 78%.

At 108.4 MW, NANT alone would add capacity equivalent to a large share of Sierra Leone’s currently available generation. Its impact, however, will also depend on whether the grid can absorb and deliver the additional electricity, making EDSA’s current integration work a key part of the project.