Powering Social Infrastructure in Sierra Leone: Market Assessment and Roadmap for Health Facilities

The report identifies a significant energy access gap in Sierra Leone's healthcare facilities, particularly at the primary healthcare unit (PHU) level, and proposes a phased roadmap to electrify 1,134 PHUs using solar PV systems. It estimates a total financing requirement of $64 million ($53m CapEx and $11m OpEx) and evaluates three delivery models—traditional ownership, service-based, and hybrid—to ensure long-term sustainability and operation and maintenance (O&M).

• There is a severe lack of reliable electricity in Sierra Leone's healthcare sector, with only 38% of primary healthcare units (PHUs) having access to power, typically averaging only 6-10 hours of supply.
• Electricity access for health facilities varies by geography, with high rates in Western Urban (95.4%) and Western Rural (89.9%) districts, but significantly lower rates in districts such as Kenema (26.9%), Kono (38.7%), and Koinadugu (41.6%).
• The total market opportunity for solar PV systems involves 1,134 PHUs, comprising 548 un-electrified facilities, 495 under-electrified PV-powered facilities, and 91 on-grid or genset-powered facilities requiring backup.
• Electrifying all identified PHUs requires a total investment of $64 million, split into $53 million for Capital Expenditure (CapEx) and $11 million for Operational Expenditure (OpEx).
• Existing solar PV installations at lower-tiered healthcare facilities often suffer from declining performance due to a lack of long-term operation and maintenance (O&M) regimes.
• The document evaluates three delivery models for health facility electrification: a traditional equipment ownership model (predominant but lacks sustainability), a service-based model (private sector provides electricity as a service), and a hybrid model (combining subsidies with private sector ESCOs and a Program Management Unit).
• The proposed roadmap consists of three phases: Structuring and feasibility (2023-2024), Development and demonstration (2024-2026) including 300 initial PHUs, and Scale up (2026-2029) to complete the remaining 834 PHUs.

APA

Severi, L., Kabir, H., Kim, J., & Yillia, P. T. (n.d.). Powering Social Infrastructure in Sierra Leone: Market Assessment and Roadmap for Health Facilities. Sustainable Energy for All. https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2023-03/Sierra%20Leone%20Roadmap%20-%20Health_ES_FINAL050323_ExSum.pdf

Chicago

Severi, Luc, Hannah Kabir, Jaryeong Kim, and Paul T. Yillia. Powering Social Infrastructure in Sierra Leone: Market Assessment and Roadmap for Health Facilities. Sustainable Energy for All, n.d. https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2023-03/Sierra%20Leone%20Roadmap%20-%20Health_ES_FINAL050323_ExSum.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: Market Assessment and Roadmap for Health Facilities |publisher=Sustainable Energy for All |url=https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2023-03/Sierra%20Leone%20Roadmap%20-%20Health_ES_FINAL050323_ExSum.pdf |access-date=23 October 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: Market Assessment and Roadmap for Health Facilities}}, institution = {Sustainable Energy for All}, url = {https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2023-03/Sierra%20Leone%20Roadmap%20-%20Health_ES_FINAL050323_ExSum.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }