27 MW Betmai Hydroelectric Project

Project Overview

The Betmai Hydroelectric Project is being developed by Sewa Energy Resources Ltd. (SERL) at the Betmai Falls on the Pampana River. The project includes a run-of-river facility with an estimated 80 m of gross head and 27 MW of installed capacity. The project will help with electrification of rural areas of Sierra Leone, while reducing greenhouse gas emission by an equivalent 70,000 tonnes of CO2/MWh.

In 2018, SERL secured a grant from the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) to complete a feasibility study of the Betmai Project in hopes of securing financing from international lenders and reaching financial closure.

Project Role

Knight Piésold was selected by SERL to act as prime contractor and execute the Terms of Reference as defined in the USTDA’s grant agreement.

Tasks for this feasibility study included:

• Project kickoff and information gathering
• Conducting field studies
• Project design
• Equipment definition
• Energy production, CAPEX, and OPEX estimates
• Identifying potential US equity and debt sources
• Reviewing and updating the environmental and social impact assessment
• Development impact assessment
• US sources of supply
• Implementation plan
• Final report

Knight Piésold’s turbine optimization study found a 5 to 10% savings on capital expenditures without significant impact on the annual energy production.