Transmission Company Holds Commercial Framework Meeting

The Transmission Company or TRANSCO, comprising La Cote d’ lvoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea or CLSG, is expected to hold a commercial framework meeting in Liberia. According to a release issued last weekend in Monrovia, TRANSCO CLSG is organizing the commercial framework workshop for the purchase agreement or PPA and Transmission Service Agreement or TSA in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea with relevant stakeholders to expected to discuss, validate and adopt draft bilateral agreements.

According to the release, The General Manager, Mohammed M. Sherif, is leading a high-level delegation to these meetings, which commence on today, May 2, 2016 in Monrovia, Liberia. The delegation will travel to Sierra Leone and Guinea to conduct similar activities. The General Manager will be accompanied by his deputies – the Director of Finance and Administration, Jigba Yilla and the Director of Project Implementation Unit, Etienne Baily.

The release indicated that the regional transmission company is collaborating with the Ministry of Lands, Mines and Energy of each country to ensure the successful outcome of the meetings. The conclusion of these agreements is a major condition precedent to the disbursement of funds by donors for the EPC contracts.

The release said Representatives from the Ministries of Energy, Finance and National Utility of each CLSG county adopted the Term Sheets in December 2014, followed by another meeting in January 2015 at which time they approved the Master form contracts for the Power Purchase Agreements and Transmission Service Agreements.

The PPA or electricity power agreement is a contract between two parties – one which generates electricity (Cote d’Ivoire) and one purchasing electricity (the CLSG). TRANSCO CLSG, as the transmission company, is signing the agreements with respective governments through their utilities.

Meanwhile, the draft bilateral agreements between Cote d’Ivoire and each of the CLSG countries have been prepared. Each country is expected to review and validate the agreements. Mr. James Schmidt – a resource person and consultant supporting the preparation of the commercial framework of the project, will attend the workshops and is expected to give an overview of key issues related to the PPAs and TSAs.

It can be recalled that last year, TRANSCO CLSG launched the implementation project for the National committee activities for the enactment of the Environmental and Social management Plan or ESMP and the Resettlement Action Plan or RAP. Speaking during the launching program at the Cape Hotel in Monrovia, the General Manager of the TRANSCO CLSG, Mohamed M. Sherif, described the launch as a significant milestone for the vital component of the project. He also said the project will bring in economic relief, as well as improve the living standard of the people of the CLSG regions.

According to the General Manager, the project came into being as an act of treaty signed by the four Heads of States on March 5, 2012. He added that the project gains international commitment to an inter-connection project, which he said, is referred to as the CLSG project.

“The project is linking Cote d’ Ivoire Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. It is a 225KV volt of the capacity of 486 megawatt double circuit that will transport electricity supplied initially from La cote d’ Ivorie into Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea; it will also create an opportunity and economic skills for the four countries to trade among themselves,” he indicated, saying: “I have no doubt that CLSG will deliver not just electricity but cheap and reliable electricity that will improve the social economic status of our countries in this regard the CLSG project is very timely to inform you that the project is on the right path to deliver the expected result”.

According to him, the project will end in 2017. he also said the CLSG is on the way of launching the bid to award contractors for the project. “Just few months from now, we will be launching the bid and awarding contract. Already, just this morning we have notified three qualify firms, the PPCC contract that are prequalify; going to be invited to summit names, so the idea is between now and April; we will begin negotiation and awarding of contracts hopefully in May we will try to give white Carlo to proceed,” he noted.

“This is why your work as national committee is important because without the implementation of the Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) and Resettlement Action Plan (RAP), we will not proceed to give white Carlo to contractors. We need the site turned over to us as TRANSCO; then we onward transfer the site to the contractors. So, this is why today it is important to launch the activities of the committee,” the General Manager disclosed.

By Lewis S. Teh-Edited by George Barpeen