Pres. Weah Lights Up Peace Island Today Under the Monrovia Consolidation of Transmission and Distribution Project Funded by the European Union
Monrovia — The Government of Liberia (GoL) with funding support from the European Union (EU), under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) and the Monrovia Consolidation of Electricity Transmission and Distribution “Light Up Monrovia (LUM)” Project, will today, Friday, March 5, 2021 switch on the first public electrification of the Peace Island Community, also known as 540 Community, in the Congo Town Township.
About 1,800 households in the Peace Island Community will for the first time connect to electricity from the national grid. The project which is also known as the “Light Up Monrovia (LUM)” Project entails the installation of several materials to ensure power connection and distribution, including meters, transformers, wooden and concrete poles, as well as wires to connect all the households to the electricity grid. All these materials are part of an EU grant.
While electricity is a commodity which requires payment, the necessary materials to connect the project communities to the electricity grid are provided by the EU for free.
His Excellency Dr. George M. Weah, President of the Republic of Liberia, and His Excellency Ambassador Laurent Delahousse, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Liberia, will jointly commission the lighting up of the Peace Island Community.
Other national and international stakeholders expected to grace the occasion include a number of representatives of the European Union Delegation to Liberia, members of the donor community, senior government officials, representatives of the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) Management Team, the project implementers, including MBH Power Limited and Intec Gopa, local authorities of the Congo Town Township and the Peace Island Community dwellers.
The Light Up Monrovia Project is a USD 50.5 million European Union Fund that is expected to electrify about 38,000 new homes in Monrovia and its environs.
Peace Island, like other communities under the project, will get its power source from the Paynesville substation and the newly constructed Congo Town substation which is located near the James Springs Payne Airport.
Other areas expected to benefit from phase one of the Light Up Monrovia project include Central Monrovia, Capitol Hill, Parts of Sinkor, including Jallah Town, Saye Town, Old and New Matadi, Airfield, Lakpazee, Fiamah (around the Barrolle Practice Ground), Springs Field community, and Wrotto Town.
Additional communities to benefit from the phase one connection include parts of Old Road – KeyHole, the Transformer Community, Chugbor, Gaye Town, and America Colonization Society (ACS) Community – as well as the communities around Nigerian House and in Paco Island and Congo Town Back Road.
The project includes the construction of a double circuit 66kV transmission line and the construction of a 66/22kV substation with two 20MVA power transformers on the Old Road. It also includes the construction of a new 22kV medium voltage distribution line strung on high quality concrete poles.
In addition to the 38,000 homes to be connected in Monrovia and its environs, 2,100 streetlights will be installed.
The project, when completed, will close the gap between the main transmission line connecting Bushrod, Capitol, Congo Town and Paynesville Substations.
LEC staff has received training to maintain the facility when completed.
About 40 engineering students of the University of Liberia and Stella Maris Polytechnic – both males and females – are also receiving training under the project.
