Powering Social Infrastructure in Sierra Leone

The report assesses the energy access gap in Sierra Leone's healthcare system, finding that approximately 38% of facilities lack electricity and many others suffer from unreliable power. It identifies a market opportunity to provide reliable energy solutions to 1,134 primary healthcare units (PHUs), estimating a total investment need of $64 million ($53m CapEx and $11m OpEx). The document proposes a three-phase roadmap from 2023 to 2029, moving from structuring and feasibility to large-scale deployment, while recommending a shift from traditional donor-led equipment ownership to hybrid and service-based delivery models to ensure long-term operation and maintenance (O&M).

• Approximately 38% of healthcare facilities in Sierra Leone lack access to electricity, and about 80% of primary healthcare units (PHUs) are not connected to the national grid.
• There is a significant market opportunity to provide reliable energy to 1,134 PHUs, requiring an estimated total investment of $64 million, comprising $53 million in capital expenditure (CapEx) and $11 million in operating expenditure (OpEx).
• Existing solar PV installations at the primary healthcare level are often under-electrified, typically only providing power for lighting or a single service such as a vaccine refrigerator, and frequently suffer from a lack of long-term operation and maintenance (O&M) regimes.
• The healthcare sector is heavily dependent on donor funding, with development partners accounting for 25.88% of total health expenditure and 88.2% of total sector expenditure when excluding out-of-pocket payments.
• The traditional donor-led equipment ownership model, while allowing for quick deployment, often fails to ensure long-term sustainability due to limited funds and scope for O&M and equipment replacement.
• A hybrid delivery model is recommended for Community Health Centres (CHCs) and large hospitals, combining donor grants for energy efficiency and CapEx subsidies with private sector investment and a community/ecosystem approach to generate revenue.
• Sierra Leone lacks national guidelines for solar PV products and has no established infrastructure for the safe disposal or recycling of e-waste, such as batteries, which poses environmental and health risks.
• The proposed implementation roadmap consists of three phases: Structuring and Feasibility (2023–2024), Development and Demonstration (2024–2026), and Scale-up (2026–2029).

APA

Severi, L., Kabir, H., Kim, J., & Yillia, P. T. (n.d.). Powering Social Infrastructure in Sierra Leone. Sustainable Energy for All. https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2023-03/Sierra%20Leone%20Roadmap%20-%20Health_FINAL050323.pdf

Chicago

Severi, Luc, Hannah Kabir, Jaryeong Kim, and Paul T. Yillia. Powering Social Infrastructure in Sierra Leone. Sustainable Energy for All, n.d. https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2023-03/Sierra%20Leone%20Roadmap%20-%20Health_FINAL050323.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Severi |first1=Luc |last2=Kabir |first2=Hannah |last3=Kim |first3=Jaryeong |last4=Yillia |first4=Paul T. |title=Powering Social Infrastructure in Sierra Leone |publisher=Sustainable Energy for All |url=https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2023-03/Sierra%20Leone%20Roadmap%20-%20Health_FINAL050323.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{severindpowering, author = {Severi, Luc and Kabir, Hannah and Kim, Jaryeong and Yillia, Paul T.}, title = {{Powering Social Infrastructure in Sierra Leone}}, institution = {Sustainable Energy for All}, url = {https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2023-03/Sierra%20Leone%20Roadmap%20-%20Health_FINAL050323.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }