LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s Octopus Energy said on Thursday its generation arm has entered into partnership with Sherbro Alliance Partners (SAP) to build Sierra Leone’s first wind farm in 2024.
Octopus’ green energy projects, worth $7.5 billion, spread across 15 countries in Europe, Asia and Australia. This partnership marks Octopus’ first move into renewables in Africa.
The agreement will see Octopus and SAP – an infrastructure development company co-founded by award-winning actor Idris Elba and Siaka Stevens, the grandson of the former President of Sierra Leone – open offices in the West African country.
“The collaboration and project will help accelerate the country’s monumental renewables opportunity and collect vital data to foster greater investment into green energy on Sherbro Island, across Sierra Leone and beyond,” it said in a statement.
Up to five wind turbines and solar panels with batteries will generate clean electricity for local communities.
Around 28% of Sierra Leone’s population are estimated to have access to electricity. The country targets 85% renewable electricity capacity by 2030.
Octopus Energy Generation plans to invest $20 billion in offshore wind globally by 2030, aiming to boost energy security and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
Octopus has invested in offshore wind farms in Britain, the Netherlands and Germany, as well as in developers of new offshore wind projects in countries such as Norway, Sweden and South Korea.
(Reporting by Marwa Rashad; Editing by Christina Fincher)
