UK-based off-grid renewable energy developer, operator and technology integrator, Winch Energy, is awarded the contract by Ministry of Energy in Sierra Leone to deliver the electrification program of the 24 villages in northern Sierra Leone through solar mini-grids as part of a public-private partnership project. 

The project is part of the Rural Renewable Energy Project (RREP) is supported by UK aid grant funding and implemented by United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS).

Wind Energy aims to make the first 12 mini-grids installed operational  by June 2019 with over 6,000 people set to benefit from a direct connection to the mini-grids in the first phase of the project. An additional 12 larger mini-grids will be installed and operated by Winch Energy starting Q4 2019, providing direct electrical connections to an additional 24,000 people. The 24 localities have a combined population of over 40,000 people who will benefit from proximity to the mini-grids, estimated to have a final combined installed capacity of over 1.2 MW. When completed, RREP will be one of the largest off-grid projects of its kind in Africa to date.

The Government of Sierra Leone through the Ministry of Energy has developed a strategy for active participation and involvement of the private sector in the operation and maintenance of solar mini-grid systems through Public-Private Partnership arrangements. This UK aid-funded RREP will see 100 villages electrified by solar mini-grids by 2020. In addition, this project will make Winch Energy one of the biggest suppliers of electricity in Sierra Leone measured by number of customers. It also contributes to Winch Energy’s aim of implementing mini-grids at scale across the continent.