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The General Manager of TRANSCO CLSG, Mohammed M. Sherif says the government of Liberia has offered Liberians hope for a better life, improved health, and quality education, alleviation of poverty, and fostering sustainable socioeconomic development, by connecting the country to affordable and reliable electricity from the CLSG grid.
The General Manager of TRANSCO CLSG gave an overview of the landmark CLSG project during his remarks at the official ceremony marking the turning on the CLSG electricity in Liberia on Thursday, December 1, 2022, at Mount Coffee.
He disclosed that the interconnection project far advanced with an overall progress rate of 98%. For the specific case of Liberia, the CLSG project involves the construction of five 225 kV substations and approximately 530 km of 225 kV power line running across the country from Man in Cote d’Ivoire to Yekepa in Nimba, through Bong, Grand Bassa, Margibi, Montserrado, Bomi, and Cape Mount Counties, before crossing into neighboring Sierra Leone.
Mr. Sherif said TRANSCO CLSG has completed and energized four out of five substations in Liberia including the Yekepa, (Nimba County), Buchanan (Grand Bassa County), Mt. Coffee (Montserrado County), and Mano (Grand Cape Mount County) substations. The Botota substation in Bong County, he disclosed, is undergoing pre-testing and will be ready for energization shortly.
Mr. Sherif explained that the substations will provide Liberia the opportunity to deliver reliable power supply to communities along the CLSG line and the nearby counties. He said the Yekepa substation has the capacity to transmit electricity to Nimba, and parts of Bong County, the Buchanan substation will transmit electricity to Grand Bassa, Rivercess, parts of Sinoe, and parts of Margibi counties while the Mount Coffee substation has got the capacity to transmit electricity that can light up the entire Montserrado county.
He furthered that the Mano substation will transmit electricity to Cape Mount, Gbarpolu, and Bomi counties while the Botota substation will transmit electricity to central, northern, and eastern parts of Liberia. The Botota substation, he revealed, also has the potential to connect with the future St. Paul River hydroelectricity expansion project that is being prepared by the government of Liberia with the support of the World Bank.
“With this achievement, Liberia now joins Sierra Leone and Guinea to enjoy 24-hour electricity as part of the larger efforts to foster regional integration and boost regional development and improve the economies of the four countries,” Sherif said.
Mr. Sherif explained that by switching on the CLSG light, the people of Liberia are offered hope for a better life, improved health, and quality education, alleviation of poverty, and fostering sustainable socio-economic development. “This is a clear manifestation of the commitment of the CLSG governments and their people to ensure this legacy project is achieved for the benefit of all Liberians and the people of the ECOWAS region,” Sherif said.
He thanked President Weah, the Government, the people of Liberia, the Presidents, and the Governments of Cote d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone, and Guinea for their continuous support and contribution toward the successful delivery of the CLSG interconnection Project. He also thanked the donor partners, including the World Bank, the African Development Bank (AFDB), the European Investment Bank (EIB), and the KFW (German Development Bank), for their significant roles in mobilizing the required financial and technical resources in making the CLSG Project a reality.
Mr. Sherif paid special tribute to Minister Gesler Murray of Mines and Energy and Minister Samuel Tweh, Minister of Finance and Development Planning for their leadership role in making the project a success in Liberia.
He also lauded other ministries and agencies of government including the Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Mines and Energy, Labor, Gender, and other key stakeholders including traditional leaders, Social Protection, the various superintendents, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency(EPA), Forestry Development Authority (FDA), Traditional Chiefs, and Elders in our areas of operations, the Project Affected Persons, contractors, and subcontractors for their strong collaboration which enabled TRANSCO CSG to achieve the fundamental objective of the CLSG Project which is to interconnect the power systems of the four CLSG countries and deliver unimpeded and affordable electricity to our people.
