President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. has formally submitted to the House of Representatives a US$57 million concessional financing instrument intended to strengthen Liberia's national electricity infrastructure, expand renewable energy generation capacity, and reinforce regional power interconnectivity within the West African Power Pool (WAPP) framework.
In an official legislative communication addressed to the Speaker of the House, President Boakai requested the expeditious ratification of the Financing Agreement for Additional Financing under the Regional Emergency Solar Power Intervention Project between the Republic of Liberia and the International Development Association (IDA), the concessional financing arm of the World Bank Group.
"I am pleased to submit, for your consideration and timely ratification, the Financing Agreement (Additional Financing for the Regional Emergency Solar Power Intervention Project) between the Republic of Liberia and the International Development Association," President Boakai wrote.
The Executive Mansion described the agreement as a strategic policy initiative aimed at accelerating rural and urban electrification, stabilizing the national transmission and distribution network, improving voltage regulation and load management, and advancing the government's broader energy sector reform and infrastructure modernization agenda.
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According to the President's communication, "The objective of this Agreement is to rapidly expand grid-connected renewable energy capacity and strengthen regional energy integration among participating countries."
The communication stated that the project will support the engineering, procurement, construction, installation, testing, and commissioning of a 30-megawatt peak (30MWp) solar photovoltaic (PV) power generation facility equipped with a 12-megawatt-hour (12MWh) battery energy storage system at Mount Coffee Island.
"The Project will support the construction of a 30MWp solar PV plant with 12MWh battery storage, including associated transmission lines for grid connection at Mount Coffee Island," the President emphasized.
The project also includes the installation of high-voltage transmission lines, substations, transformers, switchgear assemblies, feeder lines, circuit breakers, protection systems, and associated grid interconnection infrastructure necessary for synchronization and integration into Liberia's national electricity grid.
The financing arrangement further provides for Design, Supply, and Installation (DSI) contracts, including operation and maintenance services spanning one to three years to ensure technical sustainability, system reliability, operational efficiency, preventive maintenance, and optimal power dispatch operations across the network.
Additionally, the agreement seeks to facilitate the expansion and uprating of the Mount Coffee Hydro Power Plant through the installation, calibration, and commissioning of four hydroelectric turbines with a combined generation output of 42 megawatts.
President Boakai noted in the communication that the project will support "the expansion of the Mount Coffee Hydro Power Plant by adding 42MW capacity through the supply and installation of four turbines, each with a maximum capacity of 10.5MW."
Electrical engineers, power system analysts, and energy technicians say the integration of solar photovoltaic technology, battery storage systems, and hydroelectric generation will improve frequency stabilization, transmission efficiency, power redundancy, and energy diversification within the Liberia Electricity Corporation's transmission and distribution system.
The initiative is also expected to create employment opportunities for electricians, electrical engineers, grid operators, meter technicians, line workers, substation operators, cable installers, and maintenance personnel during both the construction and operational phases of the project.
Under the proposed agreement, the International Development Association will extend concessional credit financing totaling US$57 million to the Government of Liberia.
"Under this Agreement, the IDA will extend to Liberia a concessional credit in the amount of Fifty-Seven Million United States Dollars (US$57,000,000.00) to support the implementation of the Project," the communication stated.
The financing package carries highly concessional repayment terms, including a maximum commitment charge rate of one-half of one percent (0.5%) per annum on the unwithdrawn financing balance, with debt servicing obligations payable semi-annually on February 15 and August 15.
Political observers and legislative analysts view the financing arrangement as part of the Boakai administration's broader governance and infrastructure development strategy aimed at addressing Liberia's longstanding electricity deficit, strengthening national energy security, reducing dependency on thermal power generation, and stimulating industrial productivity and private-sector investment.
Meanwhile, the Plenary of the House of Representatives, during regular sitting, unanimously voted to forward the financing instrument to a Joint Committee comprising Investment & Concessions, Mines, Energy, Natural Resources & Environment, Contracts & Monopoly, Ways, Means & Finance, and Public Utilities for comprehensive legislative scrutiny and policy review.
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The Joint Committee has been mandated to conduct public hearings, evaluate the fiscal and macroeconomic implications of the agreement, review procurement and concession compliance standards, examine technical specifications of the proposed electrical infrastructure, and report its findings and recommendations to Plenary next Thursday.
Lawmakers indicated that the committee's investigative review will focus on national grid expansion, electricity tariff implications, energy governance, debt sustainability, power evacuation systems, implementation timelines, procurement transparency, and regulatory compliance mechanisms.
The legislative action forms part of the House's constitutional oversight and ratification authority intended to ensure transparency, accountability, and the protection of national interest in all international financing agreements, energy concessions, and public infrastructure undertakings entered into by the Government of Liberia.
President Boakai, in his concluding appeal, emphasized the urgency of legislative concurrence.
"Honorable Speaker, I respectfully urge the National Legislature to ratify this Financing Agreement, which will significantly strengthen Liberia's energy sector, expand access to reliable electricity, promote renewable energy development, and enhance regional power integration," President Boakai stated.
