Sierra Leone News

Archive for the ‘Electricity In Sierra Leone’ Category

Yes Salone is up and coming…. Well I feel much better and literally brighter – yes with the Bumbuna NPA light. Since two weeks now we’ve had light almost every night – sometimes it comes in at around 6.00pm, sometimes after we’ve gone to bed but never during the day. This is a much better situation and we’re all looking for more.

I heard from the grapevine that NPA made an announcement that they’re testing Bumbuna but apparently it’s only up to 20MegaWatts instead of the 50MW which is currently being worked on…

Needless to say, having brings about a “feel-good” atmosphere that only those of us who’ve experienced the lack of it can understand. I look forward to powering my laptop during the day with NPA and listening to the radio and doing all the frivolous things I can think of… simple things like storing ice cream in the freezer an eating it when I want.…

I also look forward to civilised quietness when all generators in the area including ours are off:

Here are some of the stuff I’ll save on each month

(current $ rate is about $4,000, you do the math)

40-60 gallons of diesel a month / @Le14,800 per gallon = Le592,000 – Le888,000

6 packets of giant candles /month – @ Le10,000 each = Le 60,000

Gosh… I can’t wait….Will update when more changes happen

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As I posted last time, we were expecting the Bumbuna by the end of July. Well, the President did switch on the turbine and it appears the dam itself is finished?? Or so I hear because from the time I posted till now (about 4 weeks ago) we’ve had electricity here in Lumley ONLY 3 Nights!!!

Yes it’s that bad!! According to high profile sources I know at the NPA (National Power Authority), what’s delaying things are archaic substations, poles and connecting wires. Apparently most of the old wires were stolen for scrap exporters especially during the war. Well now we’re all paying for it.

So far we’ve used nearly 60 gallons to power our generator Now thats BAD!! (A gallon costs Le 14, 500) Can you imagine what businesses are going through?? That’s why business are non-existant here but that’s for another post!

Although, I’m still optimistic and I’ll advice anyone reading who intends to come to wait until there’s electricity. Of course unless you can’t help it.

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Yep, no electicity for 5 days straight!! Wonder what’s going on. Thank God for the genereator otherwise our evenings would have been miserably dark!

I hear rumours of the test driving of Bumbuna on the 31st of July. I hope this is true because this so-called “test drive” has been rescheduled several times. Heck, I don’t want to loose my optimism.

Wake up Sierra Leone!

I thought I should write a little bit about the reality of electricity in Freetown. Obviously, all my comments are based on where I live (Lumley) and I can’t vouch for other areas.

Since  we came in Jan 2008, it’s been touch and go with the electricity. Then, we had light almost every night with the power on  for all the weekend (both night & day). Then it became steadily worse where we had light only about 3 nights a week with plus all weekend (day and night). Fast forward to September ’08 when the Muslim festival was in progress and the light was about the same.

Things were very bad – I mean VERY BAD in November ’08 where the was light only about 1 night  a week and sometimes none at all. Around Dec ’08 things improved. Jan ’09 was similar to December but has since then it’s become steadily worse. As I write this, June ’09, we tend to have light 3 nights the working week and maybe – just maybe during the day on Sat or Sun. At night when we need it most, we have to use a generator.

As dire and backward as the situation is, I still have hope the the Bumbuna Dam will come through and at last… there’ll be 24 hour light. 

Next time, I’ll write about the types and current prices of generators available and that I’ve seen people use…

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