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In the heart of Sierra Leone, where consistent access to electricity has long been a challenge, a groundbreaking renewable energy project is transforming the way critical infrastructure operates. Bo Government Hospital, a key healthcare facility in the southern province, is now powered by a cutting-edge solar energy and storage system, featuring 30 BSLBATT 10kWh batteries. This project marks a significant step in the country''s journey toward energy independence and reliable electricity, particularly for essential services like healthcare.
Sierra Leone, a nation striving to rebuild after years of civil unrest and economic instability, has long struggled with electricity shortages. Access to reliable power is crucial for hospitals like Bo Government Hospital, which provides medical services to thousands of people in the region. Frequent blackouts, high fuel costs for generators, and the environmental toll of fossil fuel-based energy sources created an urgent need for sustainable, reliable power solutions.
The solution came in the form of a solar energy and storage system, designed to provide consistent, clean power to the hospital. The project features 224 solar panels, each rated at 450W, harnessing the abundant sunlight available in Sierra Leone. The solar panels, combined with three 15kVA inverters, ensure that the hospital can efficiently convert and utilize the energy generated during daylight hours. However, the true strength of the system lies in its storage capabilities.
At the heart of the project are 30 BSLBATT 48V 200Ah lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries. These batteries store the solar energy generated throughout the day, allowing the hospital to maintain a steady power supply, even during the night or on cloudy days. BSLBATT''s high-performance energy storage systems provide not only reliability but also long-term sustainability, offering a durable and cost-effective solution for healthcare infrastructure in regions where uninterrupted power is critical.
BSLBATT''s involvement in the Bo Government Hospital project underscores the company’s commitment to advancing renewable energy solutions in developing regions. The BSLBATT 10kWh battery is renowned for its durability, safety, and ability to withstand the challenging conditions often found in remote or underdeveloped areas. With a robust design and cutting-edge battery management system (BMS), the BSLBATT batteries ensure a consistent and reliable energy flow, even in the face of fluctuating demand.
The integration of renewable energy at Bo Government Hospital is more than just a technical achievement—it represents a lifeline for the community. Reliable electricity means better healthcare services, particularly in critical areas like surgery, emergency care, and the storage of vaccines and other temperature-sensitive medical supplies. The hospital can now operate without the fear of sudden blackouts or the burden of high fuel costs for diesel generators.
This project is not only a victory for Bo Government Hospital but also a model for future renewable energy initiatives across Sierra Leone and other parts of Africa. As more hospitals and essential facilities turn to solar power and advanced energy storage solutions, BSLBATT is poised to play a pivotal role in driving sustainable development throughout the region.
Sierra Leone''s government has made clear its commitment to renewable energy, with ambitious targets for increasing solar capacity in rural areas. The success of the Bo Government Hospital project demonstrates the feasibility and effectiveness of such initiatives. With reliable, renewable energy, healthcare systems across the country can improve, reducing their reliance on costly, polluting fossil fuels and ensuring better service delivery for patients.
The installation of the solar energy system at Bo Government Hospital, powered by BSLBATT''s advanced energy storage technology, is a testament to the transformative potential of renewable energy in Africa. It not only enhances the quality of healthcare services but also contributes to the broader goal of sustainable development in Sierra Leone.
As the nation continues to explore renewable energy options, projects like this serve as a blueprint for integrating clean energy into critical infrastructure. With companies like BSLBATT providing the technological backbone, the future of energy in Sierra Leone looks brighter than ever.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, population growth outstrips electrification, even while people increasingly rely on electrical equipment for communication and commerce. This lack of energy stifles economic growth and limits living standards and opportunities.
A study by Mobile Power in 2016/17 showed that 20 per cent of household income in Sierra Leone is spent on lighting and mobile phone charging. Most of these lighting costs are spent on disposable batteries, which creates an environmental issue and mobile phones are charged at ''telecentres'' in towns, powered by polluting and dangerous diesel generators.
The partnership between Professor Dan Gladwin, from the University''s Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, and Mobile Power began in 2017. The first project focused on the lifetime battery cells in pay-per-charge smart battery packs available to remote communities in Sierra Leone, to address the lack of grid-electricity in the country.
The pay as you go smart battery rental system, developed by Mobile Power, supplies affordable, clean power to poor households and enterprises in off-grid communities. The batteries are charged at solar charging stations before being delivered to customers, thereby removing the need for dangerous traditional diesel generators and reducing energy costs by up to 75%.
This second project will focus on developing significantly larger lithium-ion battery packs that can both store energy as part of a mini-grid and will be ''hot swappable'', meaning they can be rented out for household, transport and commercial use, such as to run fridges for medicines in hospitals, then returned back to the mini grid to be recharged.
Professor Dan Gladwin said: "These new battery packs can be swapped in or out of the micro-grid without shutting down the power system and are designed to maximise the life of the battery cells under different applications. They can one day be providing power to a whole village and the next day swapped out to drive the motor of an electric KeKes. For households where the cost of connection to the mini-grid is prohibitively high, these packs are easily carried to the home and are capable of powering multiple devices for long durations."
The partnership between Mobile Power and the University will enable research into pack design and its docking/charging system to optimise charging speeds, cycle life of the battery packs and the management of the hot-swappable system.
Jono West, Founder and Chair at Mobile Power and Project Lead, said: "We are grateful for the partnership with Professor Dan Gladwin, particularly in his support and advice to date. We look forward to working closer together on this project."
There are two other project partners involved: Winch Energy, a global, off-grid energy developer and technology integrator, and Pink Power, a local non-governmental organisation (NGO).
Through these two partners, the project will be conducting field trials at two sites in Sierra Leone. Firstly, at Winch Energy''s mini-grid in Sierra Leone, where women will be employed as energy entrepreneurs, renting out the batteries for household and micro-enterprise use. The second will be at Pink Power''s site in Freetown, where a trial will take place to power electric tuk-tuk''s with the battery packs. This will be part of Pink Power''s wider project on training up vulnerable women to drive the tuk-tuks as a form of employment.
Jono West said: "Two of the greatest challenges facing the world in meeting the UN''s Sustainable Development Goals for Agenda 2030 are universal energy access (SDG7) and gender equality and women''s empowerment (SDG5). This Innovate UK Energy Catalyst project looks to find a way to allow SDG7 and SDG5 to mutually support one another, by empowering women entrepreneurs in the delivery of energy services in hard to reach communities through Mobile Power''s battery technology."
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