…as power cuts become frequent
January 28, 2016 By Alusine Sesay
If residents of Dwarzark and New England Ville were hoping for better electricity supply this dry season, the current power situation in both communities have left them in doubt.
Several calls have been made by residents of especially New England Ville for the installation of additional transformers but their plea had fallen on deaf ears as the area continues to experience intermittent electricity supply during the dry season.
“We are now using Tiger generators to provide electricity for our houses due to the interrupted power supply. We have made several requests for additional transformers but to no avail,” complained a resident.
The Ministry of Energy in early January issued a statement that there would be a reduction in electricity supply in Freetown due to the breakdown of one of the turbines at Bumbuna, thus imploring their customers to exercise patience.
But Councilor Sheka Bangura of Ward 385 in the New England community told Concord Times that the interruption in electricity supply in the area was not as a result of the said mechanical fault to one of the Bumbuna turbines, but an old transformer which has been serving the community for decades.
He said the transformer would always break down, adding that there was need for the installation of a replacement since the demand for electricity has increased as the population size increases.
“New England is not what it used to be. There has been an increase in population with people residing now up the hillsides. The demand for electricity has increased and government needs to do something about it,” said the ruling party councilor.
Meanwhile, the World Bank in 2015 approved a credit sum of US$40m to support the Energy Sector Utility Project (ESURP) through the International Development Association (IDA), so that Sierra Leone will have a better and quality energy system.
The agreement was signed recently between the government and World Bank officials as the new Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA) strives to bring sanity into the sector and provide energy for the entire country.