SIERRA LEONE: Unlock the Potential for Grid Connected Solar PV through Private Sector

Ebola epidemic placed extreme stress on the economy of Sierra Leone and reversed the strong economic growth which prevailed prior to 2014. The pace of recovery since 2016 has been constrained by inadequate financing and lack of human capital and infrastructure, including electricity services. In 2017, per request of the Government of Sierra Leone, PPIAF approved a grant to conduct several studies on the potential for private participation in solar energy generation. The activity included the analysis of the pipeline of grid-connected solar power projects; the gap analysis of legal & regulatory framework for PPP in power generation; several recommendations on the procurement approach for solar IPPs, standardized procurement and implementation documents, such as PPA, implementation agreement and grid-connection agreement.
 
Consequently, the government was enabled to standardize documents and procedures for private sector-led PV projects, and to develop institutional capacity for assessing and managing private sector PV projects. Therefore, it facilitated project development, processing and implementation, which will lead to increased generation capacity and reduced generation cost. As part of this support, four workshops were conducted on key features of solar PV projects, key elements of Power Purchase Agreement, Implementation Agreement, risk allocation consideration, evaluation of price and non-price factors, experiences and lessons learned in procuring, selecting and implementing private solar projects.