(Bloomberg) -- Sierra Leone said it settled part of a bill owed to Karpowership to restore power to the capital after weeks of electricity cuts. 

The West African nation paid $17 million, according to a statement from the finance ministry posted on X. In total, the country owed more than $40 million to the Turkish operator of floating power generation plants.

Karpowership reduced power supplies to the capital, Freetown, in September after the government failed to pay outstanding bills. Power cuts have worsened in recent weeks with hospitals, schools and businesses struggling to operate. The company couldn’t immediately be reached for a comment when contacted by phone and email outside of office hours.

President Julius Maada Bio on Saturday took control of the energy ministry following the resignation of Energy Minister Kanja Sesay, according to a separate statement. 

Karpowership, which has operations in about a dozen countries in Africa, is looking to almost double its capacity on the continent in the next five years. Relations with some countries have been complicated as governments have struggled to pay fees, with Karpowership temporarily cutting power to Guinea-Bissau in October over unpaid bills. 

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