IN a significant move towards sustainable development, Britains’ Octopus Energy’s generation arm has forged a historic alliance with Sherbro Alliance Partners (SAP), the development company founded by actor Idris Elba and Siaka Stevens, grandson of the former President of Sierra Leone. The collaboration, announced at COP28, aims to usher in Sierra Leone’s first wind farm as part of the transformative Sherbro Island City project.
This landmark deal not only positions Octopus Energy as a key player in Africa’s renewable energy landscape but also signifies a major stride in Sierra Leone’s pursuit of an 85 percent renewable electricity capacity by 2030. The project, scheduled for 2024, will feature up to five wind turbines and solar panels with batteries, generating clean electricity for local communities.
Sherbro Alliance Partners envisions Sherbro Island as a vibrant West African economic hub and dynamic eco-city, drawing inspiration from global success stories like Singapore and Dubai. The semi-autonomous Special Economic Zone designation facilitates private sector-led development activities, allowing SAP to focus on efficient governance, robust infrastructure, and diverse sectors such as healthcare, education, arts, film, entertainment, business, and talent development.
Expressing excitement about the collaboration, Idris Elba, co-founder of Sherbro Alliance Partners, stated, ‘We look at the pristine beaches of Sherbro Island with the goal of creating a culturally diverse international city that blends African tradition, dynamism, and pride with state-of-the-art infrastructure. We’re pleased to partner with Octopus Energy, who share a profound commitment to sustainability.’
Siaka Stevens, co-founder of Sherbro Alliance Partners, emphasised, ‘Sherbro Island City is being founded on sustainable principles, fuelled by clean energy sources. Our mission is to transform Sherbro and ignite a new way of building African cities. Our collaboration with Octopus is the first of many partnerships to achieve this world-class vision.’
Zoisa North-Bond, CEO of Octopus Energy Generation, marked the occasion as a momentous day for Octopus, stating, ‘This is our first renewables project in Africa. We are incredibly excited to be working with Idris, Siaka, and their team who are real visionaries creating a vibrant and sustainable future in Sherbro Island. Through projects like this, we can get cheap, green electricity to even more people and encourage others to follow suit.’
As Octopus and SAP open offices in Sierra Leone, this partnership underscores the monumental opportunity for green energy across the African continent, addressing the need for increased access to electricity and leveraging data to further renewable energy initiatives.