MONROVIA — The cross-border interconnection project, TRANSCO CLSG, aimed at expanding electricity access in the four Mano River Union countries—Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea—has been hailed as a crucial component for achieving economic growth and national development in the sub-region.
The CLSG electricity network involves the construction of a 1,357-kilometer double circuit high-voltage 225 kV line, connecting the networks of the four countries. This project is an integral part of the backbone infrastructure of the MRU countries and a priority within the West African Power Pool (WAPP) master plan.
During a recent assessment tour of the Buchanan and Mano substations in Grand Bassa and Cape Mount Counties, Deputy Energy Minister Charles Umehai expressed optimism that the two facilities have the capacity to enhance the existing national power grids across the country.
Deputy Minister Umehai informed journalists that energy efficiency remains a top priority on President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s ARREST agenda. Accordingly, the Ministry of Mines and Energy is committed to collaborating with the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) and other service providers to establish state-of-the-art transmission and distribution infrastructures to fully utilize the electric power produced by the substations.
At both the Buchanan and Mano substations, the Deputy Energy Minister’s team of engineers raised concerns about the possibility of Independent Power Providers (IPPs) transporting electric power from the substations to communities, in addition to the national service provider—LEC. Responding, Engineer Mohammed Sow, representing TRANSCO-Liberia, which constructed the substations in Liberia, stated that service providers compliant with the modern technologies equipped at the substations can connect to the grids and serve customers. ‘There is no problem with IPPs accessing the facilities to serve the public,’ Mr. Sow said, adding that once the service providers are properly processed by the government’s energy authorities, they can proceed with connecting to the grids to supply communities with electricity.
Aside from the outlet constructed at the Mount Coffee hydropower plant in White Plains, Montserrado County, each of the four other substations occupies a 10-acre land space, with each of the 225 kV lines having a power production capacity of 40 megawatts (40 MW). The largest facility in Mount Coffee produces 70 megawatts (70 MW) from supplies through its high-voltage lines. Liberia receives interconnection power from its network station in Yekepa and transmits the energy to Buchanan for onward distribution within Liberia and neighboring Sierra Leone and Guinea.
Deputy Minister Umehai revealed that the government is sensitive to the electricity needs of Liberians and other customers and assured that practical steps are being taken to ensure the LEC is equipped to transport the current to homes and businesses. Umehai emphasized that this effort aligns with President Joseph N. Boakai’s paramount concerns, stressing that sustainable and reliable electricity is key to realizing the priorities espoused by the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID)—President Boakai’s development platform.
During the Ministry of Mines and Energy’s assessment of its power substations in Bassa and Cape Mount, TRANSCO was urged to encourage the inclusion of Liberians in its staffing. Although technicians managing and maintaining the facilities are currently foreigners, the Deputy Energy Minister clarified that while Liberia is not against other nationals accessing employment opportunities, there is a need for succession plans through training and mentorship programs.
While awaiting a broader rollout of such plans, Mr. Umehai urged TRANSCO to begin adopting smaller approaches that will embed Liberian electrical engineers with their foreign counterparts to manage the substations. This assessment effort by the Energy Department is part of Minister Wilmot Paye’s overarching desire and transformative plan to institute quality reforms. Minister Paye believes that the best way for Liberians to benefit from their natural resources is to strengthen the energy and mining sectors to bring service providers into compliance with the law to promote greater accountability and revenue generation.
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