Sungrow Deploys 35-MWh RESPITE Solar-plus-Storage to Bolster Precarious Sierra Leone Grid
Officials in Sierra Leone and energy storage systems (ESS) and solar provider Sungrow have teamed up to commission one of the country’s first national-scale power generation projects in nearly a decade.
The RESPITE Solar-plus-Storage Project in Sierra Leone, a country on the southwest coast of West Africa, is bringing a total energy storage capacity of 35 MWh, integrating eight of Sungrow’s PowerTitan Series ESS units onto the grid.
Sungrow, the project's technology and hardware provider, claims this system series will allow commissioning of the RESPITE project before delivery, cutting on-site construction time by 50%. Sierra Leone’s national grid relies on a single 161kV transmission line with a capacity of 70 MW connecting the Bumbuna Hydropower Plant to the distribution network of Freetown, Sierra Leone’s capital.
Roughly 90% of the 172,000 nationwide electricity users are concentrated in Freetown, leaving most remote grids and less populated regions with limited reliable power. Only five of the 16 regional capitals receive partial electricity supply from diesel generators and hydropower facilities, while rural electrification remains severely constrained.
“Despite the challenging construction environment, Sungrow’s professional team successfully delivered and commissioned the project with high quality, demonstrating exceptional technical expertise and execution capabilities,” said Sierra Leone government officials in a statement.
According to the World Bank’s Beyond Connections Energy Access Diagnostic Report, Sierra Leone faces limited power infrastructure and unreliable electricity supply, with one of the lowest electricity access rates worldwide. To combat this, the World Bank backed the RESPITE project, providing Sungrow with the financial and commercial viability to advance these power generation solutions for the region.
Once fully operational, the World Bank estimates the project will increase Sierra Leone’s overall national electricity access rate from 16% to 36%.
Sungrow adds that the system will feature an emergency response strategy that automatically switches from grid-connected commissioning to off-grid operation. This capability establishes an independent solar-powered microgrid to support initial on-site loads, stabilizing the electrical environment for testing without external grid support.
Beyond the commissioning of this power station, about 100 local jobs will be created, growing community economic benefits while addressing the region’s power-isolated areas in the broader clean energy transition.
