Government of Sierra Leone
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Government of Sierra Leone PRESS RELEASE SIGNING OF THE UTILITY GRID INFRASTRUCTURE AND ELECTRICITY SUPPLY AGREEMENT BETWEEN GOVERNMENT OF SIERRA LEONE AND KARPOWER INTERNATIONAL DMCC (Monday, 11 June 2018 - Freetown, Sierra Leone) The Government of Sierra Leone represented by The Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Finance and the Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority, EDSA, have today concluded and signed a two-year Utility Grid Infrastructure & Electricity Supply Agreement with the Karadeniz Powership Kaya Bey Company Limited, (Karpowership), for the generation of electricity from its Maritime vessel docked in Freetown. I. Background In a bid to alleviate the immediate power challenges and to ensure a more sustainable and affordable power supply for the next twenty-four months, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Energy in collaboration with the Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority, (EDSA), and the Electricity Generation and Transmission Company, (EGTC), constituted a committee to renegotiate the terms of the contract with Karpowership. Late last year, the previous Government entered into an arrangement with Karpower International to supply 30MW for a period of 5 years at 19.596 USc/KWh. This, in excess of the average tariff paid by EDSA’s customers of 18.76 USc/KWh, would have resulted in high deficits for the Authority, a situation that has made EDSA heavily reliant on Government’s subsidies for the cost of daily operations. In general, subsidies negatively affect Government’s spending on required social sector services, particularly in education and health. 1 II. Gains from Renegotiations We are pleased to inform the general public that the Committee has successfully renegotiated the Agreement and made the following substantial gains: i. Reduced the tariff to 16.4 USc/KWh from the original tariff of US$19.596 USc/KWh negotiated by the former Government. This represents an annual savings of approximately US$9 million and is competitive in comparison to similar Karpower projects in Ghana and the Gambia, which have either longer durations and/or larger contracted capacity. ii. Reduced the contracted available capacity for which EDSA is obligated to pay whether or not the power is distributed, particularly for the rainy season when Bumbuna Hydro, the least cost option, is at full capacity of 50MW. This has the effect of reducing the cash flow burden of EDSA. iii. Reduced the duration of the contract from 5 to 2 years in line with the mediumterm strategy of the energy sector and to minimize Government’s exposure in the event of early termination of the contract. iv. Limited tax and duty exemptions to Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO), equipment and withholding tax. Unlike the original contract negotiated by the former Government, which granted Karpower International and its affiliates blanket exemptions on all taxes and duties, under the renegotiated contract, Karpower will pay duties and taxes on most of its activities, including PAYE and GST. v. Reduced the foreign currency (US dollar) requirements from 100% for fuel and all other payments to 100% for fuel only and a ratio of 70% to 30 for USD to SLL for the other payments. III. Consultation with Development Partners In adherence to the Energy Sector Policy between Government and the Development Partners, (2016), Government consulted the World Bank Group on the renegotiated terms and conditions of the contract. On 25th May 2018 the World Bank issued its No Objection to Government to conclude the Power Purchase Agreement with Karpower International. The Bank also recognized and commended the efforts of Government in reducing tariff and making significant savings estimated at US$ 18.0 million over the contract period of 2 years. For the purpose of transparency in handling public resources, the Term Sheet below provides a comparison between the original contract negotiated by the previous Government and the renegotiated terms of the current Government. 2 Summary Table of Comparison of Terms between the new and old Agreements Original Renegotiated Item Contract Contract Terms Terms Capacity Payment 6.9 USc/KWh 6.4 USc/KWh Fuel Premium 4.27 USc/KWh 2.00 USc/KWh Fuel Cost 8.426 USc/KWh 7.997 USc/KWh Contracted Capacity • Dry Season (7Months) 30MW 30MW • Wet Season (5Months) 20MW 15MW Tariff 19.596 USc/KWh 16.4 USc/KWh Savings in Tariff 3.196 USc/KWh Annual Payment by EDSA US$39.745 mn US$30.547 mn Annual Savings by EDSA US$9.1mn IV. Medium and Long-term Intervention While Government is remedying the immediate power supply crisis, it is also pursuing medium and long-term arrangements, including the Cote D’Ivoire-Liberia-Sierra Leone and Guinea, (CLSG/WAPP) Transmission Line Project, the Western Area Power Generation Project (the CEC project), the Bumbuna II Hydro Project and the 60MW Solar Project, which is supported by the World Bank. V. Alignment with the Strategic Vision of the New Direction. With thorough planning, coordinated investment and commitment by all sector agencies, the Ministry of Energy will continue to enhance access to electricity and other energy related activities throughout the country in alignment with the aims of the Strategic Vision: • Technical Audit of the Sector – for efficient and sustainable operations • Robust Reform - in the Generation, Transmission and Distribution of power. • District Capital Electrification – for the decentralization of power. • Investment in low-cost renewable projects: Solar, Hydro, Wind and Biomass: - For affordable and sustainable growth. - END - 3 .