TRANSCO CLSG begins commissioning December 2020

TRANSCO CLSG will begin the phase commissioning of the CLSG interconnection power supply to Liberia and Sierra Leone in December 2020, the General Manager has assured. Mr. Mohammed M. Sherif reiterated that the CLSG interconnection project has achieved 87 percent rate and that more progress is being made on construction sites.

During a high-level meeting with the Minister of Energy of Sierra Leone and the country’s key actors in the energy sector, including representatives of the Ministry of Finance, EDSA and EGTC as well as senior staff of the Ministry of Energy on Monday, October 5, 2020, Mr. Mohammed M. Sherif assured the government and people of Sierra Leone that the Kenema substation will be energized.

PICTURES:

He disclosed that the substations in Yekepa, Buchanan and Mano in Liberia, as well as the substations in Kenema, Bikongor and Bumbuna in Sierra Leone would be commissioned in December 2020.

The General Manager commended the Minister Alhaji Kanja Sesay for his unflinching support to the ongoing CLSG project. He said that the firm commitment exhibited by the government through the Minister Sesay puts Sierra Leone in the lead in terms of project implementation effectiveness. Mr. Sherif noted that the Ministry of Finance of Sierra Leone has been very supportive to the ongoing project.

The General Manager pointed out some of the setbacks in the CLSG project implementation including the coronavirus pandemic which derailed the swift implementation of the project. He pondered whether the government of Sierra Leone is prepared to receive and distribute the power supply when the electricity is delivered.

“Do you have the needed capacity to absorb the CLSG electricity?” the General Manager asked.

Mr. Sherif encouraged the government of Sierra Leone to get a fair commitment to conclude the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) on time so that the intake of the 27MW of electricity supply from TRANSCO CLSG would be materialized.

Meanwhile, Minister Sesay has set up a robust technical team at his Ministry headed by a veteran in the energy sector to look into the pre and post commissioning activities and to make sure the process is unhindered. He reiterated his country’s firm commitment to commission the CLSG Interconnection Power Supply to electrify Bo and Kenema respectively come December 2020.

Minister Kanja Sesay urged his technical team to come up with a plan that will ensure the country’s full preparedness to utilize the CLSG power supply. He expressed his anticipation for the commissioning of the CLSG power supply to electrify Bo and Kenema in December 2020.

Minister Sesay explained that H E. President Maada Bio is eager to electrify the country and that the CLSG power supply would be effective for the people of Bo and Kenema respectively. He thanked the management of TRANSCO CLSG for their steadfastness on the ongoing project.

The Financial Secretary representing the Ministry of Finance, Sahr Jusu called on the Ministry of Energy to work expeditiously and come up with a plan that will speed up government’s own commitment to funding the ongoing project.

According to him, he held discussions with the energy ministry, EDSA and EGTC to craft a plan that is required to get the 161-transmission line energized to supply electricity across the country. He assured Minister Kanja Sesay and the TRANSCO CLSG delegation that he would approve the disbursement of the initial $750,000US to the Ministry of Energy as part of government’s own commitment to fund the ongoing project.