By: Austine Luseni
Communications Specialist
Ministry of Energy
Contact : 077377042/034157390
ENERGY REFORMATION
Newton, Rural Freetown, June 20, 2020——— Minister of Energy, Alhaji Kanja Sesay has led a high-powered delegation of officials of his ministry and EDSA on a visit to the Chinese run Pioneer Power Engineering Company, at Newton, rural Freetown, to inspect and assess the quality of concrete electricity poles manufactured by the company.
The delegation which comprised the deputy minister of energy Dr Eldred Taylor, General Project Coordinator (ESURP) Dr Ing.Edmond Wuseni, EDSA Deputy Director-General Mr Nyama and others inspected the general condition of the factory and assessed the quality, durability and capacity of concrete poles produced by the company.
The ministry of energy through the World Bank and Government of Sierra Leone co-funded Energy Sector Utility Reform Project, is currently embarking on a major overhaul of the distribution lines in the Western Area through the replacement of electricity poles and wires and the installation of substations.The cities of Bo and Kenema are to also benefit from an energy project that will replace poles and wires to enhance the evacuation and distribution of quality electricity.
Deputy Director General, EDSA, Mr Nyama, said the factory they were visiting was very important to the energy sector and other sectors in the country. He noted that the factory would partially if not totally eliminate the need for the importation of electricity poles. Mr Nyama stated that ordering those items from Europe or Asia normally imposes serious financial burdens on the Government and also delays commencements of projects.
The EDSA deputy director went further to state that wooden poles are perishable and that they could easily attract fire. According to him, concrete poles , on the other hand, were durable and the fact that they were being produced here would not only make access easier but accelerate the implementation of projects.
Mr Nyama concluded that they were pleased or satisfied with the manufacturing process and were only waiting on the next stage, where testing could be done to determine at what breaking load the poles could give up. He assured that the factory would be relied on for future projects.
The minister of energy and his team are not sleeping on duty. They continue to explore every available means through which access to electricity could be increased and the quality of electricity enhanced.
