Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire-The TRANSCO CLSG Interconnection Project is anticipated to provide Liberia with a reliable electrical supply for the following two years, starting in December 2022. The most recent information came when TRANSCO CLSG and the Liberia Electricity Corporation signed a transmission services agreement on October 26 in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.
With funding from the World Bank, African Development Bank, European Investment Bank, and German Development Bank, the TRANSCO CLSG project aims to improve rural people’s access to electricity in border areas of Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Cote d’Ivoire. Liberia and Cote d’Ivoire formally signed the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) on Friday, October 21, 2022.
Mohammed Mulibah Sheriff, General Manager for the TRANSCO CLSG project, stated in his opening remarks on Wednesday, October 26, 2022, that the current CLSG’s transmission infrastructure includes a double circuit line, with a two-by-243 Megawatts line capacity to provide a total of 486 Megawatts of electricity. Mr. Sheriff described the agreement as a significant step toward developing an energy market that will foster regional growth and strengthen the economies of the CLSG nations, guaranteeing that the people of the four countries have access to reliable and reasonably priced electricity.
“We are thrilled by this landmark achievement in the CLSG project implementation. Today’s signing event means Liberia has sealed the deal to receive the electricity that Liberians have hungered for years. The signing of the PPA and TSA for stable electricity could not come at the right time as Liberia enters into the dry season, during which the country is faced with a major energy deficit. In this vein, we applaud His Excellency President George Manneh Weah, the government, and the people of Liberia for coming on board the TRANSCO train and setting the pace for the people to enjoy 24-hour electricity during this dry season and onward. The signing of the PPA and the TSA by Liberia marks the beginning of trading on the CLSG line, and we are proud as Liberia now joins Sierra Leone and Guinea to enjoy 24-hour electricity, a reality of Cote d’Ivoire delivering quality, stable and affordable electricity to the respective CLSG countries. We achieved this historic victory based on cordial relationships and collaborative efforts with every stakeholder involved in the CLSG project.”
Samuel Tweah, the finance minister for Liberia, reaffirmed the commitment of the government to uphold its end of the deal’s financial commitments. Nevertheless, Minister Tweah commended the efforts of TRANSCO CLSG, the Cote d’Ivoire government, and the project funders for the project’s successful signing.
” We are committed to maintaining the sustainability of the project”
Moni Captan, the chief executive officer of Liberia Electricity Corporation and the signatory on behalf of the Liberian government, expressed his hope that Transco CLSG would increase its capacity and dependability by putting in place the second circuit of the transmission line, which is crucial for supplying future energy demands.
“Today’s ceremony has been made possible by the realization of the 225kv CLSG Transmission line that interconnects the electricity networks of La Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea. This critical infrastructure paves the way for further integration of the West African Power Pool countries in the formation of a regional energy market. We present our acknowledgment and appreciation to our respective governments for their vision and for the support given to this project. We are also pleased to express our gratitude to the following partners whose support was critical to the implementation of the project; namely the World Bank, African Development Bank, European Investment Bank, and KfW. Transco CLSG is ours and therefore we are obligated to fully support it to ensure its success, sustainability, and service to our respective countries, and ECOWAS.”
