Sierra Leone – Supply, Installation, Maintenance for Solar-Powered Freezing Chambers for Fishing Villages
Supply, Installation, Maintenance for Solar-Powered Freezing Chambers for Fishing Villages
Sierra Leone
The coastal communities in Sierra Leone are grappling with the increasing frequency and severity of climate change-induced risks, such as coastal erosion, flooding, and storm surges, which significantly affect social well-being, livelihood security, and vital economic sectors, including fishing, tourism, water resources, and agriculture. These adverse impacts have already led to considerable consequences, such as reduced fishing productivity, ecosystem degradation, and low farming outputs. In addition, the lack of proper cold storage facilities in off-grid small fishery villages hinders the effective preservation and commercialization of fish, further exacerbating the challenges faced by community-based fishing associations. Therefore, it is crucial to address these vulnerabilities by providing sustainable and efficient cold storage solutions, as well as capacity building for fishing communities, to ensure the long-term improvement of their livelihoods and the overall resilience of the coastal region in Sierra Leone.
Sierra Leone
Off-Grid System
137 kWp
CAA and UNDP have collaboratively developed an innovative solution to address the pressing challenges faced by coastal communities in Sierra Leone, by implementing five solar-powered freezing chambers. These chambers, designed as shipping containers, are equipped with ice machines that are powered by solar energy. This sustainable and environmentally friendly approach not only ensures the efficient preservation of fish, but also significantly enhances the post-harvest value chain.
The introduction of these solar-powered freezing chambers positively impacts the local economy by enabling community-based fishing associations to store their catch for extended periods, maintain its quality, and sell it at a later time for profit. This, in turn, leads to improved income generation, fosters sustainable fishing practices, and bolsters the overall resilience of the coastal communities.
By providing much-needed capacity building to these fishing associations, the CAA and UNDP initiative addresses the multitude of challenges arising from climate change-induced risks, such as reduced fishing productivity, ecosystem degradation, and low farming outputs. This sophisticated and sustainable solution not only tackles the immediate concerns but also contributes to the long-term well-being of Sierra Leone’s coastal communities.
Renewable energy is a symbol of a bright new future for Africa and for our planet. We aim to provide access to sustainable, high-quality energy systems and infrastructure across Sub-Saharan Africa.
