Freetown 6 MWp PV Plant

Project Details

Name	Year	Location	Client	Type	Description	Scope
Freetown 6 MWp PV Plant	2020	Freetown, Sierra Leone	SMRT	Photovoltaic	EPC project for a 6 MWp solar farm with a 61KV substation and overhead grid lines	Part of JV for EPC; handled civil design, AC side, substation, and overhead connection

Project Background & Objectives

The Freetown 6 MWp PV Plant was initiated as a landmark renewable infrastructure development to diversify Sierra Leone’s national energy mix and reduce its heavy reliance on imported fossil fuels. Sponsored by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and funded by the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), the utility-scale installation was designed to feed clean electricity directly into the national grid to satisfy roughly 6% of Freetown’s total power demand. Within this critical development context, PDP Energy joined the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) joint venture under the client SMRT Projects & Energy Solutions.

The primary company-specific objectives centered on executing the complex detailed power plant engineering and procurement technicalities. This focused on safely integrating the new clean energy capacity via precise civil engineering layouts, full AC-side system design, and the development of a 61KV distribution substation leading up to a secure overhead transmission grid connection.

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Project Challenges

Introducing the nation’s first large-scale PV facility presented significant engineering and logistical complexities. Connecting a new fluctuating renewable source into an under-developed local utility network required rigorous grid-stability planning. PDP Energy had to overcome these technical hurdles by designing robust infrastructure from scratch, including complex low- and high-voltage connections, comprehensive civil engineering layouts, a dedicated 61KV distribution substation, and a specialized overhead grid line extension to guarantee safe, stable power injection without overloading the existing network.

Project Outcomes

Operating within a specialized joint venture, PDP Energy successfully delivered the complete detailed power plant engineering package, covering the entire AC network side and substation infrastructure. The project effectively established a model for modern renewable energy deployment in West Africa. By delivering stable, synchronized grid connections, the engineering framework successfully paved the way for commissioning a pioneering solar asset that provides high-performance, eco-friendly electricity to thousands of urban households and local businesses.

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