Liberia’s rural electrification program moves to Lofa

The Deputy Executive Director of the Rural and Renewable Energy Agency, Stephen B. Potter, Sr., discloses here that a US$ 27 million dollars rural electrification project in Lofa County, northern Liberia will witness the construction of a 2.5 megawatt hydro power plant to be complimented by a 1.8 megawatt diesel power plant for the supply of electricity to targeted areas in the county.

Making the disclosure during an International Mining Energy and Petroleum Conference held recently at the Millennium Guest House in Oldest Congo Town outside Monrovia, he notes that the rural renewable energy project is on course in several counties across Liberia.

The Liberia Renewable Energy Access Project, valued at US$27m is supported by development partners in collaboration with the Government of Liberia. It is intended to provide electricity through a 2.5 megawatt hydro power plant that will be complimented by a 1.8 megawatt dessel hydro power plant to provide power supply from Voijaman to Foya, connecting major towns and villages along the way.

Director Potter explains his entity also has another project supported by the African Development Bank in the tune of US$33. 7m to construct a hydro power plant with a capacity of 9.34 megawatt energy to feed most parts of Nimba and Bong counties and ZorZor, Lofa County, respectively.

According to him, the European Union has committed a grant funding for the electrification of Buchanan City, Grand Bassa County, adding that by 2020 the agency conduct the process of procurement to construct distribution facility in Buchanan, while portion of said funding will be used to construct 2 megawatt hydro power plant outside Greeneville City, Sinoe County in the southeast of the country.

Director Potter says all of the projects will be operated through a public-private partnership to ensure full compliance with terms of the agreement entered into with the agency.

He is optimistic that when the transmission lines are completed, Pleebo City in Maryland County, and other adjacent counties such as River Cess and River Gee would be electrified with a target to connect all 15 counties by 2030.

He lauds the government of he United States and the Sweden Embassy here for supporting a solar home system in rural Liberia.

He says the rural energy program will be affordable to Liberians to ensure everyone has access to electricity supply, indicating that through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the United States government, the entire Suakoko and Phebe community in Bog County will benefit electricity.

Source: New Dawn

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