en.Wedoany.com Reported - Renewable energy company Sungrow has commissioned the 35 MWh solar-plus-storage facility under the Regional Emergency Solar Power Intervention Project (RESPITE) in Sierra Leone. Supported by the World Bank, the project aims to increase the country's electricity access rate from 16% to 36%.

The project features eight Sungrow PowerTitan series battery systems, serving the country's state-owned power generation and transmission company. The RESPITE project also includes the 30 MW Newton solar power plant and the 10 MW Lungi solar power plant, both of which were commissioned in June 2026.

Due to the weak grid, where traditional grid-connection commissioning methods could not be implemented, Sungrow's deployed battery systems first relied on solar energy to stabilize the electrical environment independently before connecting to the national grid, and then completed grid integration. This technical approach demonstrates the viability of its energy storage products in fringe grid environments.

Sierra Leone's national grid relies on a 161 kV, 70 MW transmission line connecting the Bumbuna Hydropower Plant to the capital, Freetown. Of the country's 172,000 electricity users, 90% are concentrated in Freetown.

Of the 16 district capitals, only 5 receive partial power supply from diesel generators and hydropower, with maximum daily outages lasting up to 18 hours.

According to statistics from the Africa Solar Industry Association, Sierra Leone has 364 MW of operational solar capacity, with an additional 62 MW under construction.