Posts Tagged ‘bumbuna’
Current Electricity Situation In Freetown – Nov 2011
November 7th, 2011 | 
Author: I promised I’ll making these updates. Well currently, “Salone swit” We are enjoying light on most days (90% of the time). Compared to when we came in 2008, well things have superbly improved in this area. So to those that are coming this December you are in for a real treat. 
Yesterday we drove down Wilkinson Road to go to church and I must say, I was very happy to see that it’s almost complete! I can wait for it to be 100% complete. That will be so good! Work, as you may know already, has already began on Spur Road. They also started digging Regent Road which they seem to have abandoned.
My desperate wish is for Regent Road and Lumley roundabout to be completed. Have a great week y’all!
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Bumbuna Operational? Where’s The Light?
Hello again, I’ve been busy and mad! Mad with the lack of light that’s plaguing Freetown again. I remember last year this time when – we Freetownians – were all basking in the new found Bumbuna light and praising the government for doing the unprecedented. Children danced in the street – “Light don come” or something to that effect. Music blared around every street corner and there was a general positivity about progress in Sierra Leone. I will boast to our diaspora friends about how good things are happening….
One Year On….
Fast forward one year on and we’re back the darkness that prevailed when we came in 2008 not to mention the noisome generators. This started – for those of us that live in Lumley – in about February and it became so bad that around the 1st of May there was a big brouhaha as the fuel price was increased from Le17,500 per gallon to Le22,000 or so. In addition to this increase, fuel is now sold in litres instead of gallons.
There were queues at petrol stations as dealers refused to sell for one reason or the other. In the absence of electricity, the only reliable source of light is the generator which needs fuel. Fuel price increase is bad enough but scarcity compounds the problem.
Now I can say, fuel shortages only lasted for about 3 days at the beginning of May, now we do have more expensive fuel but no electricity.
There may be a myriad of reasons why and I’ve seen and heard as well as read Minister this or that say this or that…. quite frankly it doesn’t matter.
Bottom line is unless there’s 24/7 light no economy can grow to it’s fullest potential . Poverty will still be endemic and businesses will charge and arm and a leg for goods and services.
As I’m writing my generator is on… I wonder when I’ll switch it off for good….
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Electricity Situation December 2010
This year has been a year of MUCH, much better light here in Freetown. Now put together we’ve had light on about 300 days so far even before the year completes. For some it has been better others worse depends on where you live.
Most of the problem with light has happened towards the end of this year when the road works began. As I write, some areas close to Wilkinson Road and Congo Cross have not had light for 6 weeks or more now as the old electric poles are being relocated.
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Bumbuna Update – Current Light Situation – May 2010
Well, what I can I say… back to square one – noisy generators, no light during the day and so on! I keep hearing excuses – fixing technical problem, waiting for the rains etc.
In April, we had light almost throughout starting from Good Friday only for it to off on the 29th April, 2 days after independence.
I mean what’s going on? Sierra Leoneans deserve 24/7 light and nothing less. I’m tired of hearing all the different excuses.
To those in charge of Salone light: just get on with it and give us the light we deserve. Confound the doubters and make Sierra Leone proud.
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Posted in Electricity In Sierra Leone | 
Tags: bumbuna, bumbuna dam, bumbuna hydro, electricity | 
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Bumbuna Down For A Week…
Back to the darkness we’ve not experienced for sometime. Not impressed 
but at least they gave notice. Wonder how often this will be. When one gets used to electricity, it’s hard to go back to the pitch blackness that pervades when it’s absent.
Now getting used to noisy generators, candles, torches… etc all over again and oh I’m about to fry all the fish in my freezer to prevent them from getting spoilt…
We’re expecting the light back on Friday / Saturday. FYI
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Posted in Electricity In Sierra Leone |
Tags: bumbuna, bumbuna dam, bumbuna hydro, Electricity In Sierra Leone, light in freetown |
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Bumbuna Hydro – Quick Update
Just to qive you a quick summary on what’s happening on ground level and after this I think I’ll pause on the bumbuna issue unitl something dramatic happens.
The Good News……..
#1. I’m getting nearly 24/7 electricy. This is almost fantastic for me but for people that have lived here all their lives, it’s almost unbelievable! But hey, I believe in miracles and this Bumbuna hydro is one BIG FAT miracle!!!
#2. Big Fat Savings – Last month in October, we used only about 15 gallons of diseal for our generator, down from 40-60 gallons we were using. The Bumbuna was officially commisioned on the 6th of November and so far this month we used only 4 gallons to supplement. This is to give you an idea of what’s happening. I look forward to not needing any fuel at all but hey this is Africa…. one needs a standby for everything!
#3. The other good news – but for NPA – is that there’s increase in revenue collection. Prepaid meters are being installed in every house thus those who didn’t pay for their electricity (freeloaders) before are being forced to pay now or do without light.
The Bad News….
#1. Generator dependent businesses who never believed the Bumbuna will come and thus didn’t prepare for it are going out of business…
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Read This… And Weep For Salone
As you may well know, the Bumbuna Dam is nearly 100% operational. Recently, we have been experiencing better light. In fact from Thursday last week till Saturday we had light with no interruptions and this is the first time this has happened since we came to Sierra Leone in January 2008.
Read the rest of this entry »
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Posted in Electricity In Sierra Leone, Sierra Leone Development |
Tags: bumbuna, bumbuna dam, bumbuna hydro, Electricity In Sierra Leone |
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Bumbuna Completed, Approved And I’m Getting Better Light…
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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