GoL, EU to Commission Newly Constructed Congo Town Electricity Substation

Monrovia, Liberia - The Government of Liberia (GoL) and the European Union (EU), will on Tuesday August 16, at 10am, commission the newly constructed Congo Town Electricity Substation, which will enable the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) to address the increasing electricity demand in Monrovia.

The ceremonial event will host the delivery of “Certificates of Recognition” and the “Ribbon Cutting of the New 66/22kV 40MW Congo Town Substation” accompanied by several cultural performances, including high-level remarks by the Presidency of the Republic of Liberia, the Head of the European Union Delegation to Liberia, the Ministry of Mines and Energy, the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning and the Liberia Electricity Corporation.

The electricity power infrastructure works carried out across Monrovia known as the “Light Up Monrovia” Project is implemented under the “Monrovia Consolidation of Electricity Transmission and Distribution” Project, and funded by the European Union (EU) under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) with a total budget of Euro 48.1 M (US$ 51.3 million).

The Light Up Monrovia (LUM) project is being implemented by MBH Power Limited, Intec-Gopa, and the LEC, as thousands of homes and businesses in Monrovia and its environs are now benefiting from a safe, accessible, and cost-efficient electricity power supply from the National Grid.

With the construction of the new Congo Town substation on the Old Road, and the extension of additional three substations around Monrovia, the LEC is now providing electricity to approximately Forty - one thousand (41,000) households.

In addition, more than 70 communities in Central Monrovia, Sinkor, Congo Town, Paynesville, and outside of Monrovia are currently benefiting from LEC’s enhanced power supply generated by the Mount Coffee Hydro Plant with an increased capacity and use of cost-efficient means.

Under the project, two thousand five hundred and ten (2,510) streetlights have been installed within the communities of the Greater Monrovia area for the safety and security of citizens.

Also, within the scope of the project, more than 40 internship students and young engineers were recruited from the engineering departments of universities in Monrovia. The interns were deployed at several construction sites and were offered hands-on training in electrical, civil, and general engineering safety, and were provided with toolkits to enhance the technical and professional management capacities of the human resources in the sector.

Background

The “Monrovia Consolidation of Electricity Transmissions and Distribution Project” is funded under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) and has a 24-months duration. A similar project was implemented under the 9th EDF for the electricity grids. Under the two programs, the EU has earmarked and invested substantially in the energy sector with a total budget of approximately 100 million Euros in Liberia.

In 2018, the Liberian Government signed a "Transmission and Distribution" contract together with the Delegation of the European Union to Liberia, MBH Power Limited, and Intec-Gopa to design and build 66KV over headlines and extension of existing 66/22/10KV power that will help Monrovia to absorb more electricity from the Mount Coffee Hydro Plant to be transmitted to substations on Bushrod Island, New Kru Town, Capitol Hill, Congo Town, and Paynesville.

In collaboration with the EU, the National Authorizing Office (NAO) Unit of the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning monitors the project to manage, coordinate, program, and oversee the EU-funded projects in Liberia.