Newton, a famous Train Station Town, on Freetown’s outskirts, is getting a solar project that will rapidly transformed Sierra Leone’s oldest town.

“The Newton Solar project is a novelty and the first of its kind,” the Energy Committee in parliament has praised the solar initiative.

The eulogy was made during the Parliamentary Oversight Committee chaired by Hon. Keikura C. Vandy on Wednesday 14 August 2024.

The Committee said they’d inspected the Newton Solar PV Plant and the Black Hall Road Power Station respectively.

The MPs were accompanied by the Deputy Minister II of Energy, Ing Edmond Benjamin Nonie,  the Director General of Electricity Generation and Transmission Company (EGTC) Ing. Milton Gebai and Head of Renewable Energy, Ing. Mohamed Marrah.

In his statement, the Chairman said the Committee was doing a probing in the sector to know its challenges, and successes and proffer solutions and recommendations in light of their findings.

“When we complete the oversight tour, we will write our report and present it to the Plenary for further consideration, ” he stated.

The Chairman disclosed that it was the Committee’s first time to visit the Newton Renewable Energy Station.

During the oversight tour, the Committee Members observed that the Newton Renewable Energy Station, has a 6-megawatt solar plant and is “the biggest solar station and  installation was done was 2021.

According to the EGTC Director General, the plant has various facilities including office space and substations for power collection, retention, and transfer, and can integrate power from Bumbuna to Freetown.

“There are also facilities for spear parts and tools,” he said.

The Committee discovered that the plant installed capacity during the rains is 4.3 megawatts maximum.

“Currently for Freetown Government own sources are the 6-megawatt solar, the Bumbuna, and thermal generators at Black Hall and the Kingtom power station.”

According to the Director General, there are still works in progress regarding fixing up faulty inverters and batteries for the solar plant.

It was also discovered by the Committee that similar renewable projects bigger than Newton Solar Plant are underway with support from the World Bank, meant to boost Freetown’s light system and Lungi town.

The Newton Community is currently benefiting from the Plant during the day but not at night hours.

The Committee Members observed that the Black Hall Power Station comprises two auxiliary plants, and each with 8 megawatts amounting to 16 megawatts.

The machines were installed in 2010 to ease the power distribution network in the east end of Freetown and onwards in Waterloo (rural of Freetown) and the Peninsula Communities in the west of Freetown.

It was also observed that these machines are not running and they require huge capital-intensive maintenance.

The Committee further discovered even though the plant machines are not running, but require the frequent attention and observation of engineers in order not to go beyond repairs.

The Deputy Minister also reaffirmed to the Committee that Government is working very hard to improve power generation with the support of partners. “As Government we are trying hard to bring the dynamic of different generations to address electricity challenges in the county.”