Russia-S/ Leone Working Group on Cooperation Holds Maiden Meeting

BY Festus J Lahai

 The Russia-Sierra Leone Working Group on Cooperation in the field of Energy on Thursday 27th August, 2020 held its maiden meeting via video link.

Deputy Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation, Mr. Sorokin Pavel Yurievich, headed the Russian Team whilst the Sierra Leonean Team was led by the Minister of Energy Alhaji Kanja Sesay.

Both countries noted that the Working Group was a fruit borne out of the agreement between the Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation HE A.V. Novak and the President of the Republic of Sierra Leone HE Julius Maada Bio reached on the sidelines of the Russian-Africa summit in Sochi on October 23rd 2019.

During that meeting, the countries discussed the current state of their cooperation in the field of energy and the possibilities of it deepening in the sphere of fuel and energy. The Sides exchanged the views on the promising projects that were discussed during the meeting of the Working Group.

In the field of Oil and Gas, Sierra Leone and Russia welcomed the development of the state programme for the extension of the Mineral Resource base of solid minerals by Rosgeo JSC for the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Resources of the Republic of Sierra Leone.

The officials during the meeting further vowed to support the cooperation between Rosgeo JSC and the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Resources of the Republic of Sierra Leone in the field of offshore exploration and transition zones (shallow waters) surveying including the multiclient principles-based surveying.

In the field of Power Generation, the Sierra Leone side agreed to pass on  to the Russians till the end of 2020, the information regarding the field of power generation and supply, including the technological exchanges in the spheres of thermal power stations, water resources, solar energy, solar photo elements and wind power stations for further consideration of possible cooperation by interested Russian companies.

The Russian Side noted the interest of INTER RAO – Export LLC in developing cooperation with Sierra Leonean partners in the sphere of building and modernization of power stations and in the supplies of the Russian power-generating machinery for the power generation facilities in Sierra Leone.

The Russian Side supports the interest of power machines JSC in acting as a manufacturer and supplier of main and auxiliary machinery for both hydroelectric power plants (turbines with automatic control systems, generators with excitation systems, pre-turbine gates, a complex of Electromechanical and hydro-mechanical equipment) and for thermal power plants (steam turbines; turbo generators, equipment) and for thermal power plants (steam turbines, turbo generators, equipment “boiler island”; heaters, steam boilers, waste boilers).

Both countries decided that the next meeting of the Working Group will be held in 2021. The location and date of the meeting will be determined via diplomatic channels at a later time.