Liberia: World Bank Managing Director Visits Mount Coffee, Commends Progress On 20MW Solar Project

Monrovia – The Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) on Thursday hosted World Bank Group Managing Director and Chief Knowledge Officer, Paschal Donohoe, on an official visit to the Mount Coffee Hydropower Facility, where he looked at ongoing repair works on Turbine-Unit #1 and the 20-megawatt (MW) solar farm currently undergoing testing and final commissioning ahead of power evacuation into the national grid.

The solar facility, Liberia’s first utility-scale renewable energy project of its kind, is expected to inject clean and sustainable energy into the grid, complementing hydropower and thermal generations and strengthening energy reliability.

Mr. Donohoe was accompanied by a high-level delegation, including World Bank Country Manager, Georgia Wallen; the Country Manager and representatives of the African Development Bank (AfDB); representatives of the International Finance Corporation (IFC); representatives of the European Union (EU), senior officers of the Liberia Electricity Regulatory Commission (LERC); Liberia’s Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan; Deputy Minister of Mines and Energy, Charles Umehai; as well as other donor partners and senior government and public utility officials.

During an indoor program, LEC’s Deputy Managing Director for Operations, Thomas Gonkerwon, welcomed the delegation and expressed appreciation for the World Bank Group’s sustained support through financing, technical assistance, and capacity-building initiatives aimed at strengthening utility performance and enhancing customer-focused service delivery.

Providing a comprehensive project overview, Bill Hagins, Project Director of LEC/RESPITE, and Dominic Gono, Solar Project Manager, highlighted key energy initiatives supported by the World Bank.

These include the planned 42MW expansion of Mount Coffee, the rehabilitation of Turbine Unit #1 to restore the plant’s full installed capacity of 88MW, the development of the 150–200MW SP2 hydropower project upstream on the St. Paul River and the expansion of the 20MW solar farm with an additional 10MW and 6MW battery storage.

He also underscored ongoing dam safety improvements at Mount Coffee.

Minister Ngafuan lauded the visit as a strong demonstration of partnership and conveyed Liberia’s deep appreciation to the World Bank Group for its continued support.

He reaffirmed the Government’s commitment through his ministry to providing the necessary support to ensure successful implementation of ongoing and future energy projects.

Deputy Minister for energy, Umehai described the visit as a clear signal of the World Bank Group’s confidence in Liberia’s energy sector reform agenda and a testament to the strength of the strategic partnership between Liberia and its development partners.

Following the indoor session, the delegation toured key installations at the Mount Coffee facility, including the solar farm, the hydropower powerhouse, the ongoing Turbine Unit #1 rehabilitation works, and the central control room that integrates power generation and distribution systems.

Speaking to the press, Pascal Donohoe described the solar farm project visit as highly valuable and noted that the project would serve as an example of the type of initiative and public private partnership that the World Bank Group aims to support in the Liberia power generation sector.

He emphasized that by helping Liberia meet its own energy needs, the project contributes to the country’s economic growth, driven by the unique partnership between Liberia and the World Bank Group.

In closing, Mr. Donohoe thanked the Government of Liberia and reaffirmed the World Bank Group’s strong commitment to the country’s future and its dedication to being a reliable and strategic partner to Liberia.