European Union Provides US $21.5 Million for Lot 1 of the Consolidation of Monrovia Electricity Transmission Project

Monrovia, Liberia - The Government of Liberia and MBH limited have signed an agreement valued at US $18.5 million Euros, amounting to US$ 21.5 million for Lot 1 of the Consolidation of Monrovia Electricity Transmission Project.

According to the terms of the contract, the project will complete the main transmission line connecting Bushrod Island to Paynesville via Capitol Hill and Congo Town, closing the loop by inter phasing with other projects at the Paynesville substation.

Speaking during the signing ceremony on Thursday, August 9, 2018, at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, Minister Samuel D. Tweah, Jr., conveyed, on behalf of President George Weah, profound gratitude to the European Union for its numerous support to the people of Liberia. Minister Tweah described the signing as a reflection of the strong partnership this government and the Liberian people enjoy with the European Union.

Speaking further at the signing ceremony, Minister Tweah asserted: “while we are signing Lot 1 today, we are also in the process of receiving US $6 million again for budget support that will significantly strengthen the budget educational capacity reform in Liberia.”

According to him, there will be no progress in Liberia’s development agenda unless we change the electricity space. This is why electricity is a binding constraint to growth and development, as indicated by several studies conducted over the past several years, arguing that the EU gesture will take Liberia one step closer to its realization. He also indicated that with a current capacity of 85 MW at the mount coffee hydro, Lot 1 of this agreement will also put us on the path to be able to deliver power soon to the people of Liberia’’

He also reaffirmed the commitment of the Government and the Liberia Electricity Corporation to work aggressively over the next twelve to eighteen months to ensure a radical increase in the transmission of electricity to the people of Liberia. “We will begin to see real dividends for our people as the constraints of power are being relaxed” and will bring relief to this country.

He noted that in order to bridge the future gap of electricians, the European Union has in it vocational training program, the education and training of electricians in certain TVET schools in the country, with a strong focus on skills development for rural electrification.

Making remarks on behalf of EU at the signing ceremony, European Union Ambassador to Liberia, Helene Cave, affirmed EU’s partnership and commitment towards Government’s Pro-Poor Agenda on developing infrastructure in the country.
“The two sector roads and electricity are the backbone of infrastructure development and EU is strongly supporting the government in the materialization of its priorities in both sectors,’’ she added.

According to her, the Monrovia Consolidation Lot 1, with the construction of transmission lines and substations will pave the way for the future of Lot 2 for distribution and connections, which will see the connection of 38,000 households to the grid. The tender for Lot 2 was launched at the beginning of July and the offers are expected to be submitted by 5th October, with the signing of the contract for Lot 2 taking place before the end of December 2018.

Ambassador Cave described the European Union as one of the principal contributors to the development of infrastructure in Liberia, mainly roads and energy, and continues to make a significant contribution to the development of regional infrastructure in West Africa. She also cited the substantial contribution to the rehabilitation of the Mount Coffee hydropower plant by the EU and European Bank.

“Apart from the already mentioned Monrovia consolidation Lot 2, there are additional two other projects in preparation, called the Technical Assistant Support to Liberia Electricity Regulatory Commission in the amount of 3 million Euros and support to Rural Electrification in the southeast of Liberia amounting to 42 million Euros’’ she further disclosed.

The signing ceremony was attended by the CEO of Liberia Electricity Corporation, Ministers of Information, Public Works, Deputy Ministers for Budget, Economic Management and Fiscal Affairs at MFDP, the Rural & Renewable Energy Agency, and INTEC GOPA, the engineering firm which will supervise the project.