Liberia: LEC Extends Grid Network Near S. Leone Border
Staff of LEC and contractors during the handover ceremony
-- It connects several towns and communities in Bomi and Grand Cape Mount Counties.
The Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC), is making significant strides in ensuring residents across Liberia gain access to its national power grid. The project, dubbed “LACEEP-AF”, provides a major boost to Liberia’s economic growth and development, as thousands of homes and businesses now have electricity and a hope of alleviating poverty in their rural towns and villages.
“Rural grid extension remains highly prioritized within the LEC, and is primarily implemented through various funded arrangements,” the LEC said in a release. “The management of LEC is leaving no stone unturned in ensuring that the illumination of Liberia’s rural communities remains one of its paramount objectives.
“This is clearly evident by the recent connection of over 10,000 (ten thousand) customers who are now linked to Liberia’s national electricity grid network, which now extends into Bomi and Grand Cape Mount Counties. With financial and technical support from the World Bank, LEC has extended its medium and low voltage lines into Kle, Tubmanburg and up to the Sierra Leonean Border at Bo-Waterside.”
“The completion of this project clearly shows that we are getting closer to our national goal of increasing access to electricity for all Liberians,” says Mr. Monie R. Captan, Acting CEO of LEC. “We encourage all of our customers currently connected to the national grid, to use the electricity wisely and not undermine our ability to serve the general public through misuse and theft.”
During the turnover, thousands of Liberians in communities were seen in a jubilant mood, and happily commending the Government of Liberia and the LEC management, for electrifying their towns and villages.
“Today, I’m very grateful to the government of Liberia, through the management of the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC), for bringing current to us. I can openly say that LEC is now our ‘rescue mother’ here in Bomi and Cape Mount,” says Mr. Moses Kpakar, CEO of Meet me there Business Center in Gballah’s Town, Bomi County. “Take, for example, I used to buy a gallon of gasoline daily for 1,000.00 LRD, but now my $20.00 USD LEC token can carry me for almost a month; and the current here is stable and reliable.”
During the handover, LEC’s World Bank Supervision Engineer, Mr. Ezekiel Sampson, said the essence of the ceremony was to formally take charge of the grid network from the two engineering companies (Wilkins and MBH), for maintenance and operational use by the LEC management.
Mr. Sampson also mentioned that the sole purpose of providing access to electricity is to electrify homes so that Liberians in rural communities can improve their livelihoods, thereby enhancing their economic growth and empowerment.
The contractual agreement between both engineering companies, hired to build the network, ended on Friday, 30th September 2022. Both companies successfully completed the final handover of the LACEEP-AF Bomi (Feeder-3) to the management of LEC.
Also, and in preparation for the dry season, LEC will be signing a Power Purchase Agreement with CI Energies/CIE on October 21, 2022 for the supply of 27MW of electricity to Liberia. The power will be transmitted through the CLSG Transmission line and supply will commence December 1, 2022. The rural component of the supply of power through the CLSG will include the electrification of over 100 (one hundred) rural communities, from Nimba to Grand Cape Mount Counties.