Monrovia – Since the commissioning of the Mount Coffee Hydro, the Liberia Electricity Corporation hasn’t been able to supply Monrovia and its environs with an uninterrupted stable around the clock electricity, thus limiting the corporation’s ability to hook larger companies to its power grid and unable to expand beyond its current status.
Power theft might not be the only reason the corporation is losing revenue but also its inability to fully function in order to attract larger customers.
Power theft, limited capacity, low financing, snail pace connection of new homes and slow response when there’s a problem continue to be a challenge for the corporation.
Even with a dam constant and stable supply of electricity is still farfetched.
FrontPageAfrica has learned of a cat and mouse game being played between the team at Mount Coffee and the Liberia Electricity Corporation management which is having an effect on the supply of power to Monrovia.
The information has it that those who managed the corporation previously and the Mount Coffee team are doing everything humanly possible to render the current LEC management team seem incompetent.
The interrupted flow of electricity is been pointed at the Mount Coffee management.
But the head of Mount Coffee, Bill Hakins, doesn’t think so.
“Yes, Bushrod has to keep on supplying electricity during this testing period (using the heavy fuel oil powered plants) and during the dry months when Mt. Coffee will only be able to run one unit until the river flows are large enough for two, three and four units.
For Mt. Coffee to come online, usually Bushrod starts up, takes all the load on the grid and gradually it reduces its generation and Mt. Coffee increases until Mt. Coffee is taking all the loads.
Taking over LEC, Foday Soko Sackor promised to increase power supply but it is evident that curbing power theft is the focus.
“This is a new LEC. We want to ensure that our services are more accessible to the public. This service is for you and from now on we will come to you,” he said.
“As our generation potential goes up, we will definitely increase our power supply to the people and subsequently reduce tariff.”
Sackor his team genuinely cares about adding more customers to their base.
“We will be connecting you, and we will be responding to your plights. When you call, somebody will be on the other side listening. We will come over to solve your problem.”
LEC customers are complaining about stability in the flow of electricity and those who are yet to be connected are waiting for such dream to become a reality.
Responding to information about the team at Mount Coffee prolonging stay, Hakins termed the information as baseless.
“I’m not sure where such rumors come from but this is entirely baseless, the PIU, engineer and all the contractors involved at Mt. Coffee are doing everything in their power to ensure that the project is finished as soon as possible whilst ensuring the necessary standards of safety and quality are met.”
He said the hydro will be running a one month reliability test adding that after such time, it will supply constant electricity.
“Unit 2 has been undergoing its performance testing over the past few weeks and it will start a one month reliability test run as part of this process, during which time it will run almost constantly and supply the full load on the LEC grid during this period,” Hakins said.
“During the testing period it varies but it has supplied up to the peak load approximately 16MW unit, one supplied up to a peak load of 19MW.”
He said LEC is working tirelessly to connect more communities and there are many large projects in hand.
The Mount Coffee Project Coordinator said when the second unit is fully on, there will be enough power to meet the demand but this is not the situation since the second turbine was turned on.
“When the second unit has undergone its full testing (in about one month from now), there will be two hydropower units available to supply 40MW of clean electricity.”
“This will be sufficient to meet the full load at this time, providing there is sufficient flow in the St. Paul River.”
“As we move into April, May, June and July, the third and fourth units will be commissioned and there will be sufficient water for all four units and more than enough generation to meet demand.
The other part of the equation is that the grid has to be expanded and reliability improved and LEC are working hard to achieve these goals,” Hakins added.