Through the Sierra Leone Healthcare Electrification Project, SEforALL and partners are installing solar power systems in 11 more health facilities under Phase 3, after successful Phases 1 and 2. A total of 43 facilities will soon have round-the-clock electricity supply, leading to improved healthcare and lower emissions from reduced generator usage.
The project is funded by the UK Government and is being implemented by SEforALL in close coordination with the Sierra Leonean Ministry of Health and on-ground support from EM-One Solutions, Tetra Tech and CEMMATS Group Ltd.

As part of the quarterly review, project partners including representatives from SEforALL and the UK Government visited four hospitals in Freetown last week to monitor the installations – Lakka Government Hospital, King Harman Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Connaught Hospital and Rokupa Government Hospital. Systems ranging from 100 kilowatt peak (kWp) solar with 190 kilowatt-hour (kWh) batteries to 760 kWp solar with 1225 kWh batteries have been installed in these facilities.
Project Impact
The transition to solar energy is lowering the reliance on diesel generators that were powering the health facilities, either as a backup in on-grid hospitals or as a primary power source in off-grid hospitals in rural and last-mile communities. This in turn is leading to reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Phase 1 of the project has yielded great results with a reduction in diesel generator usage by 52 per cent in six prominent hospitals across Sierra Leone including the Ola During Children’s Hospital and the Princess Christian Maternity Hospital.
Sierra Leone is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to the effects of climate change, with increasing occurrences of extreme heat, heavy rainfall, floods and droughts. Solar electrification in healthcare facilities is providing a stable and renewable source of energy, ensuring that medical services can continue during power outages in rural and last-mile communities. The Sierra Leone Healthcare Electrification Project is improving the resilience of these facilities to the impact of climate change and helping alleviate public health risks.
This work is a critical part of Sierra Leone’s commitment to going green, and strongly aligns with the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions. The Deputy Minister of Health, Dr. Jalikatu Mustapha emphasised, “We’re making sure that we reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, that we reduce the emissions of the health sector so that we don’t contribute to the problem. All this whilewe are also ensuring our health facilities have reliable and sustainable energy to fully function, even during extreme weather events.”
The journey so far
The Sierra Leone Healthcare Electrification Project was launched in October 2022 by project partners who pledged to transform healthcare in Sierra Leone. The SEforALL Sierra Leone Country Manager, Ngozi Beckley-Lines affirmed this: “Solar panels have been installed in hospitals across Sierra Leone to provide clean and environmentally friendly power. Currently, rural and underserved communities are receiving greatly improved 24-hour critical medical care. We are saving lives and we will leave no one behind.”
Under Phase 1, a combined total of over 0.6 MWp solar power capacity was installed in six key hospitals along with battery storage that was expanded to 0.9 MWp after the first year of operations to meet rapidly growing demand. Following this trailblazing electrification, SEforALL progressed to Phase 2 which added 0.308 MWp of solar power in Kailahun Government Hospital and 25 community health centres (CHCs) around the country.
The 11 hospitals in Phase 3 include Connaught Hospital which is the main referral hospital in Sierra Leone, Rokupa Government Hospital which provides the full range of reproductive maternal and newborn healthcare for women and children, Lakka Government Hospital, King Harman Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Port Loko Government Hospital, Makeni Government Hospital, Magburaka Government Hospital, Koidu Government Hospital, Moyamba Government Hospital, Pujehun Government Hospital and Kenema Government Hospital. Once complete, SEforALL would have installed a total of 4.3 megawatt peak (MWp) of solar power in 43 health facilities across Sierra Leone, transforming healthcare nationwide with reliable and sustainable energy.
Follow this groundbreaking journey on social media using the hashtags #PoweringHealthcare and #PoweringLivesSL.