CLSG Project will give people access to quality power

CONAKRY, Tuesday, April 19, 2016: The CLSG interconnection project will integrate Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea into a regional electricity market and strengthen electricity network across the region, says TRANSCO CLSG Environmental Coordinator during his closing remarks at the two-day National Committee meetings in Conakry, Guinea.

Mr. Pakidame Kolani told members of the Committee that the project, when completed will allow people access to quality energy at a lower cost. He said the CLSG project envisages the construction of 1303 kilometers of transmission line from Cote d’Ivoire, with eleven new substations across the CLSG. He said four (04) substations will be built in Liberia (Yekepa, Buchanan, Monrovia, and Mano), two (02) in Guinea (Nzerekore and Linsan) and five (05) Sierra Leone (Kenema Bikongor, Bumbuna Yiben and Kamakwie) with an extension in Man, Cote d’Ivoire.

The multi-million dollar CLSG electricity project is funded by four main donors including World Bank, European Investment Bank, the African Development Bank and KfW.

“In the specific case of Guinea, we are going to construct two 225 kV substations in Nzerekore and Linsan, as well as a powerline of 225 kV over 119 km from Yekepa to Nzerekore and Kamakwie to Linsan,” Kolani informed the Committee.

The TRANSCO CLSG Environmental Coordinator, said the CLSG project has positive impacts in terms of transmission and distribution of electrical energy to the public and in terms of carbon savings, but that the fact remains the project will have some negative impacts on the natural environment, adding that people in the line corridor of the project would be affected.

According to him, the Environmental and Social Management Plan and the Resettlement Action Plan are crucial components of the CLSG project that must be carefully handle. He assured that TRANSCO CLSG will do everything to make sure those who are affected are compensated to enable them relocate from the right of way. This is the essence of establishing the National and local committees. “The monitoring of the implementation of the ESMP and RAP activities across the CLSG countries is very important,” he said.

TRANSCO CLSG is collaborating with the National Committees of various CLSG countries to launch local committees and sensitization activities.

Local committees include representatives of various sector ministries and agencies that are involved in the implementation of the CLSG interconnection project, and local government authorities. The Committee represents the National Committee at the local level, most especially in the specific project affected towns and villages.

Local Committees will hold meetings, make decisions on local matters at local level and make report to the National Committees. Each local committee has terms of reference which set out its responsibilities.

In Guinea, the local committee will be formed in Kindia on Wednesday, April 20, 2016. The regional interconnection company will then formally launch an information and awareness campaign in Linsan, one of the project affected towns in Guinea on Thursday, April 21, 2016. A town hall meeting and live radio talk shows in local vernaculars have been organized.