By: Augusta Osmatu Bangura
Work has begun on a key section of Sierra Leone’s electricity network as the Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA) prepares the grid to receive power from the planned NANT power plant in Freetown. The ongoing work involves the 33-kilovolt (33kV) sub-transmission line linking Blackhall Road and Ropoti.
According to EDSA, activities carried out between August 12 and 14 included the relocation of the existing line and its conversion into an underground cable. The work is expected to establish a permanent connection between the Blackhall Road and Ropoti substations while preparing the network for the connection of the NANT power plant.
The work comes as Sierra Leone continues to face challenges with the availability and reliability of electricity, despite efforts to increase the country’s power generation capacity.
The NANT power project, located in the Kissy area of Freetown, is being developed by CECA SL Generation as a combined-cycle power plant. The project has received financing support from the United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), and private-sector shareholders.
But building a power plant is only part of getting more electricity to consumers. The electricity has to get from the plant to the grid, and from the grid to homes, businesses and industries. That requires transmission infrastructure capable of carrying the additional power.
This is where the Blackhall Road–Ropoti work becomes important. The two substations form part of EDSA’s wider transmission network in the Freetown area, which also includes connections involving Wellington, Jui, Waterloo and Regent.
The latest work is therefore not simply about moving an existing power line underground. It is also part of preparations to accommodate additional electricity that will enter the national grid once the NANT plant becomes operational.
For consumers, the significance is: more generation can only translate into more reliable electricity if the infrastructure carrying that power is ready to handle it.
Sierra Leone’s electricity demand continues to grow, including demand from businesses and productive sectors, while existing generation and transmission infrastructure face their own limitations.
The NANT project is expected to add to the country’s generation capacity, but its impact on consumers will ultimately depend on how effectively the new power can be transmitted and dist. The Blackhall Road–Ropoti works represent one part of that process.
For residents and businesses that continue to experience power interruptions, however, the question will ultimately be whether investments in generation and transmission translate into more consistent electricity at the end of the line.
For now, the work underway between Blackhall Road and Ropoti marks another step towards preparing Freetown’s electricity network for the arrival of additional generation capacity.
Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Wednesday, 19th August 2026 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
