Africa-Press – Sierra-Leone. Electricity supply to several key towns and districts in Sierra Leone, including Makeni, Magburaka, Bo, Kenema, and Koidu, has been severely impacted following a drastic reduction in power generation by Karpowership.
The Turkish company, a primary electricity provider, has scaled down its output from 50 megawatts (MW) to a mere 6MW due to persistent non-payment of capacity fees and fuel costs by the Sierra Leone government.
The affected provincial towns, which previously relied heavily on the Bumbuna hydroelectric dam’s 18.6MW output, are now facing acute power shortages as Bumbuna’s supply has been diverted to Freetown.
The situation in Makeni is particularly dire, with the local Government Hospital struggling to maintain operations. The hospital, which depends on the national grid from Bumbuna, is experiencing critical challenges as its solar backup system is reportedly overstretched and malfunctioning during the rainy season.
This has placed patients on life-support machines in critical condition due to the frequent and prolonged power outages. With the recent further reduction of supply to Makeni from 6MW to 3.5MW, the city is experiencing near-total darkness, raising fears of increased mortality rates at the referral hospital and a significant downturn in economic and social activities.
Karpowership, a global leader in floating power generation, issued a press release last Tuesday confirming the reduction in supply. The company stated that it has not received payment for capacity fees for over two years and has not been reimbursed for fuel supplied for six months.
While expressing commitment to supporting Sierra Leone with reliable electricity, Karpowership deemed the financial burden unsustainable, noting that the current 6MW output is barely enough for critical infrastructure.
In a press conference held on Friday, June 13, 2025, Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella, the Energy Sector Lead, confirmed the Karpowership shutdown and the reduced 6MW supply. Despite the nationwide concerns, Dr. Yumkella reassured the public that proactive planning has ensured sufficient electricity supply for Freetown.
Dr. Yumkella outlined Freetown’s current electricity sources, totaling 56.29 MW including 18.6 MW from Bumbuna, 23 MW from CLSG, 9 MW from Nigata Machine at Kingtom amd 5.6 MW from Karpowership.
He also confirmed that an additional 10 MW has been secured from Guinea to bolster Sierra Leone’s energy generation, with ongoing negotiations to finalize costs.
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