‘Bumbuna is behaving normally’ says Chairman of Dam Safety Review Panel
The Dam Safety Review Panel (DSRP), an international panel of experts, charged with the responsibility of providing technical advice by way of reviewing the performance of Sierra Leone’s Bumbuna Hydroelectric Dam, following the conclusion of their 5th Mission on Thursday 14th July, 2011 presented their findings on the performance of the Bumbuna Hydroelectric Project. The report was presented to the Minister of Energy and Water Resources (MEWR), Professor Ogunlade Davidson, the World Bank visiting Mission, the Project Management Unit of the MEWR, among others. The review panel headed by its Chairman Professor Bela Petry visited the Bumbuna Hydro Electric Dam from 4th -12th July, 2011, to study the status of safety related operations of the Bumbuna Hydroelectric Dam.
The report focused on answers and clarifications to questions that arose at the start of the operational phase of the project namely:
- The state of safety of the project components at the beginning of the operation period.
- The constructive and organizational measures that are still needed in order to ascertain a safe operation of the project during the current phase of Ad-Interim Operation and later during the long-term operation period, and
- The general requirements and implications of safety concerns on the institutional and organizational framework of the Operator.
Professor Petry noted that based on their findings at the project site, he is happy to report that Bumbuna is “behaving normally”, meaning, the dam is operating according to international safety standards. He however catalogued a host of recommendations which he said will help to make things better at the project site if implemented.
The Minister of Energy and Water Resources thanked the team for their report and recommendations and registered government’s commitment to the BHP. Minister Davidson noted that the Bumbuna Hydroelectric Project “is more of a political than a technical issue” which he said the government treats with absolute importance. He said the DRSP report will be carefully studied and its recommendations implemented for the success of the project.
Mamadi Kamara
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