The parliament of Sierra Leone has voted unanimously to ratify the project agreements for Bumbuna II hydropower project, a clear sign of the strong cross-party support for this project.
Following on from the Government of Sierra Leone’s signing of the 25-year Power Purchase and Implementation Agreements in August 2017, Parliamentary ratification marks another important milestone in the development of the Bumbuna II hydropower project which, when completed, will provide much- needed all-year round power to Sierra Leone.
Under the conditions of the agreement, local project company Seli Hydropower, jointly owned by Joule Africa and its local partner Energy Services Company (ESCO), will build an extension to the existing 50MW hydro station, Bumbuna I, and construct a new regulation dam 30km upstream, adding a further 143MW of power capacity. Construction on the extension is anticipated to start in the second half of 2018 with operations forecast to start four years later. Seli Hydropower will be responsible for building, owning and operating Bumbuna II, while the ownership of the Bumbuna I assets shall continue to remain with the Government of Sierra Leone.
Commenting on the achievement of this important milestone, Patrick Beckley, Executive Chairman of Seli Hydropower, said: “The development of Bumbuna II has always been a key part of the country’s long-term energy strategy and we look forward to being able to deliver affordable, all-year round power for the consumers of Sierra Leone,”
Andrew Cavaghan, Joule Africa’s Chairman and a Director of Seli Hydropower, added: “I am pleased that we have reached another important milestone in the development of the Bumbuna II project. We are making good progress on all fronts and will look to build on this momentum in the coming weeks and months as we conclude the financing of the project.”
