In a bid to expedite the completion of the Bumbuna hydroelectric project by August next year, the Islamic Development Bank has advanced a sum of US$10M to Sierra Leone.
The Bumbuna project consists of an asphalt concrete dam with a 440m crest-length, a water intake structure, two morning glory spillways with associated tunnels, an above-ground power house with two 25MW turbo-generator units, and a 30km Y-shaped reservoir with 445Mm3 storage capacity.
The project includes the installation of switchyards to transmit electricity to Freetown, through a single-circuit transmission line on self-supporting steel towers. The money is to go towards replacing electricity transmission lines damaged during the recent civil war.