Status and challenges of wood biomass as the principal energy in Sierra Leone

Abstract

The availability of energy in developing countries, especially in Africa is still a great challenge, affecting the standard of living and investment in the Continent. The absence of adequate energy supply in both urban and rural areas in Africa since the colonial era has given wood biomass energy the advantage among other energy sources. In this paper, the literature and reports were synthesised to assess the wood biomass energy usage status, production, consumption, economic benefits, pitfalls and future trends in Sierra Leone. The combined the energy supply from all sources in Sierra Leone accounts for less than 30% of the country energy needs. The massive reliance on wood biomass energy in Sierra Leone is as a result of poverty, a high cost of alternative energy source, weak economy and underdevelopment of the state, previous civil wars and a low standard of living. The exploitation of other forms of renewable energy such as modern bioenergy, solar, wind, and increased hydroelectric production could improve the access of power and diversify Sierra Leone’s energy profile in the future.