Sierra Leone, located in West Africa, is rich in mineral resources and holds significant potential for economic development. However, constrained by a weak foundational power grid, the country has long faced challenges of electricity shortages. Inadequate power supply has become a bottleneck for economic growth, limiting the full utilization of its resource potential.
Recently, leveraging its industry-leading solar-storage technology and extensive project experience, CSI Solar has customized an integrated solar-storage-diesel microgrid system for a mining site in Sierra Leone. The system includes a 4.4MW solar PV installation and a 2.5MW/5MWh energy storage system, supplemented by diesel generators. Scheduled to be operational by the end of 2025, this project aims to resolve the mining site’s power supply challenges through a smart, multi-energy complementary solution.
The microgrid operates entirely off-grid, following a “solar priority, storage regulation, diesel backup” strategy. By integrating solar PV, energy storage, and diesel generators with CSI Solar’s smart energy platform, the system ensures precise and coordinated energy supply:
- During periods of sufficient sunlight, solar power is prioritized, with excess energy stored in the battery system.
- When solar generation decreases on cloudy days or at night, the energy storage system discharges to fill the gap.
- In cases of prolonged extreme weather where solar and storage are insufficient, diesel generators activate as a backup to ensure uninterrupted power supply, providing 24/7 stable electricity for mining operations.
CSI Solar delivered an integrated solution for the project, including complete system products and the smart energy platform. Through high-efficiency products, system integration, and intelligent operation and maintenance, the company ensures both reliability and cost-effectiveness in project operation.
Drawing on extensive experience in solar-storage projects, CSI Solar’s technical team optimized the capacity ratio of solar, storage, and diesel components. This approach not only guarantees power supply reliability but also maximizes the solar penetration rate, reducing diesel consumption and helping the mining site achieve stable and cost-controlled electricity supply.
Given local solar conditions in Africa, the PV system is projected to generate approximately 165 million kWh of electricity over 30 years, ensuring a stable power supply for the mining site. The high compatibility and synergy of CSI Solar’s integrated system further enhance the overall operational efficiency of the microgrid. Through unified design and intelligent coordinated control, the system enables efficient energy utilization and optimized operational costs, creating long-term and stable energy benefits for the customer.
