Kassirie Community Gains First Time Access to Reliable Electricity

Freetown, Sierra Leone – 20 January 2025: Today, the Government of Sierra Leone together with its development partners including Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) commissioned the Kassirie Mini Grid project to supply reliable electricity to previously underserved communities.

This solar-powered mini-grid project in Kassirie is the third such project by the Universal Energy Facility, a multi-donor results-based finance (RBF) programme managed by SEforALL, and comprising 67kW of solar and 204kWh of battery power to deliver clean, reliable and sustainable electricity to 54% of households, businesses, and public institutions in Kassirie, directly benefiting thousands of people across the community, that were previously and entirely dependent on fossil fuel generators for its power needs.

Remarking on the significance of the project, Hon. Dr. Kandeh Yumkella, Energy Sector Lead and Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on Climate Change, Renewable Energy and Food Security (PI-CREF) said, “The Univeral Energy Facility’s RBF programme will transform Kassirie and Kambia District by powering homes, schools, and healthcare facilities with clean, reliable energy. It’s not just about electricity it’s about creating opportunities, improving healthcare, enhancing education, and empowering communities to thrive.”

By utilizing renewable energy, the project supports Sierra Leone’s Energy Transition and Green Growth Plan and this Kassirie mini-grid project that is owned and managed by Power Leone will contribute significantly to the Government’s efforts to improve energy access and support rural economic development.

Speaking on the financial models that are catalyzing such projects, Anita Otubu, the Senior Director of the Universal Energy Facility said, “The Kassirie mini-grid project highlights how donor funding can serve as a catalyst for transformative change. By supporting infrastructure development in unelectrified communities, initiatives like this directly improve lives, providing reliable electricity that drives economic growth, enhances public services such as healthcare and education, and fosters long-term resilience. We extend our appreciation to our funders, including the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), as well as our partners the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), European Union Delegation and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) for their invaluable support.”

This commissioning event underscores the broader momentum for rural electrification in Sierra Leone. With the recently announced commitment of EUR 20 million in financing from the European Union Delegation to support the Government of Sierra Leone’s Results-Based Financing mechanism to be administered through SEforALL’s Universal Energy Facility. This funding is poised to electrify 35,000 rural households and businesses, enabling transformative change in underserved communities.

NOTES TO EDITORS

About the Universal Energy Facility

The Universal Energy Facility (UEF), managed by SEforALL, was established as a multi-donor Results-Based financing (RBF) facility to accelerate and scale up energy access across Sub-Saharan Africa and beyond, in line with SDG7 and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. The UEF provides catalytic grant financing to clean energy companies deploying various energy solutions and providing verified end-user electricity connections (via mini-grids and stand-alone solar systems) and clean cooking solutions. For more information, visit us at www.universalenergyfacility.org
 

About Sustainable Energy for All

Sustainable Energy for All is an independent organization, hosted by UNOPS, with a global mandate to accelerate progress on the energy transition in emerging and developing countries. We work at the intersection of energy, climate, and development. We collaborate with governments and partners worldwide to end energy poverty, accelerate the deployment of renewable energy solutions, and combat climate change. Learn more about our work at www.SEforALL.org
 

About the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP)

The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) is an alliance of philanthropy, governments in emerging and developed economies, and technology, policy, and financing partners. Our common mission is to enable LMIC’s shift to a clean energy, pro-growth model that accelerates universal energy access and inclusive economic growth, while supporting the global community to meet critical climate goals during the next decade. As an alliance, we aim to reduce four gigatons of future carbon emissions, expand clean energy access to one billion people, and enable 150 million new jobs. With philanthropic partners, IKEA Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, and Bezos Earth Fund, GEAPP works to build the enabling environment, capacity, and market conditions for private sector solutions, catalyse new business models through innovation and entrepreneurship, and deploy high-risk capital to encourage private sector solutions and assist just transition solutions. For more information, please visit www.energyalliance.org
 

About Power Leone:

Power Leone is a subsidiary company of Energicity Corporation, established in 2018 focused on energy access delivery in Sierra Leone. The company currently operates 55 mini-grid projects across Sierra Leone with additional projects in its pipeline for future development.  For more information, please visit www.energicitycorp.com/power-leone/

Media Contacts

Sustainable Energy for All: Sherry Kennedy, Director of Communications: Sherry.Kennedy@SEforALL.org / Media@SEforALL.org | +43 676 486 2425