Big light by December 15

The Liberia Electricity Corporation or LEC says it will begin the provision of hydro power by December 15, this year from its rehabilitated hydro plant in White Plains. The power house disclosed here on Thursday that the plant which has the capacity to produce 88 megawatts will bring on screen its first 22 megawatts in decades.

Addressing reporters Thursday December 8, 2016, at the Ministry of Information Cultural and Tourism on Capitol Hill, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the LEC, Mr. LanYhapsaid the full capacity of the plant will be realized between February and June 2017.

Yhap acknowledges that the 22 megawatts initial roll out is not sufficient for Monrovia alone, but the plan to proceed with the commissioning ceremony is the first step in bringing the hydro on screen, which is part of the small light today, big light tomorrow plans.
“After the delay due to the deadly virus which hinders major projects, I would like to announce to the Liberian people that the inauguration of the first unit power of mount coffee hydro project is on the 15 of December. As we speak right now test are going on, the engineer of LEC, and contractors at the hydro are working to energize, to put electricity in the lines from BushrodIsland, to mount coffee”

Today one of the things that are happening at LEC is that all of the generators at LEC will be on, and will produce, and send through the new transmission lines to mount coffee, and that power from Bushrod will reach all the way to mount coffee, through the lines.
If the test goes through as planned, once the powers get on mount coffee, mount coffee and BushrodIsland will work together, and pick up the load together, then the Bushrod plant will be brought down, leaving the mount coffee with the entire load, this is what we are working on today”.

Once it comes up that means we are set to have a successful inauguration on the 15, and as of this day, I think we have to remove the part that says small light today and just focus on the big light for tomorrow,” Yhap said. He said between February and June next year, the remaining 66 megawatts will come on in the units of 22, till the 88 is completed in June of next year.

By; Lewis S. Teh