By Crispina Cummings
Minister of energy and power Oluniyi Robin Coker Monday told the committee on appointment in Parliament that the country’s main power supply grid, Bumbuna hydroelectric dam, was down to 8 from 25 megawatts.
He said the dam was being powered by 2 turbine machines to supply electricity in mainly Freetown and Makeni before one of the engines broke down, bringing total output to 8 megawatts.
He informed the committee that the breakdown resulted to the low supply of electricity in the country but assured that measures were being put in place to address the problem before September 2013.
The total project cost was estimated to be US$ 91.8 million. Government’s extended contracts with Salini Costruttori for the operation and maintenance of Bumbuna and Studio Pietrangeli for the dam safety issues came to an end this year.
Phase 2 of theBumbuna hydro dam has been contracted to Jole Africa.
Much of the country’s power generation capacity was damaged or destroyed during the war. The Bumbuna management agreed that the country’s current power supply situation was characterised by daily massive blackouts and very high losses.
