Pres. Weah Issues Executive Order #116–Extending Mount Coffee Power Hydro Plant and Solar Project Implementation
The President of the Republic, H.E. Dr. George Manneh Weah, has issued an Executive Order directing full governmental support to the implementation of the Mount Coffee Hydro Power Plant (MCHPP) Extension and Solar Project.
Executive Order #116, issued Thursday, February 16, 2023 by the President, titled, “Directing Full Governmental Support to the Implementation of the Mount Coffee Hydro Power Plant (MCHPP) Extension and Solar Project, the St. Paul River 2nd Hydro (Sp2) Project and the Feasibility Study for the via Reservoir Storage and Generation Project”, takes immediate effect.
President Weah ordered all ministries and agencies of the Government of Liberia (GOL) to cooperate with all Liberian and international teams and components tasked with the successful conclusion of the critical project for the benefit of the Liberian people.
“This project is deemed as critical to both our national security and our national economic development,” the President indicated in the Executive Order, adding that agencies of government mandated to cooperate on the project include the Minister of State and his Ministry’s staff, and apparatus of the Executive Mansion.
Also, the leaderships of the EPA, FDA, NaFAA, LISGIS are to support the fast-track provision and adherence of the required environmental and social standards, and the issuing of gratis permits and licenses if formally requested in writing by the Minister of Mines and Energy or the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of LEC.
Also requested to cooperate on the implementation of the projects are the leaderships and authorities of the LIS, LNP, NPA and RIA, supporting the rapid movement of teams and equipment into, out of, and throughout Liberia.
“This includes the issuing of gratis permits by the LIS, the Ministry of Labor and any other issuing entity and the fast-tracking of equipment through our ports of entry when formally requested, in writing, by the Minister of Mines and Energy or the CEO of LEC,” the President mandated his officials as per the Executive Order.
According to the President, the leadership of the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) is to support the rapid movement of teams and equipment into and out of, and throughout Liberia. This is to include the rapid issuing of permits if so formally requested, in writing, by the Minister of Mines and Energy or the CEO of LEC.
The Executive Order takes note of the fact that Liberia has abundant river and solar radiation resources for the generation of Hydro and Solar Power, but only the Mount Coffee Hydro Power Plant (MCHPP) is generating utility scale renewable green generation.
Besides, President Weah acknowledged Liberia’s commitments to support the COP 26 agendas carved in United Kingdom in 2022 and the one due in Egypt in 2023, and added that the country remains committed to developing affordable renewable generation using its associated natural resources;
He stated via the Executive Order, “Our international partners, the World Bank and the West African Power Pool, completed the full feasibility study for a MCHPP hydro extension of 44MW and a MCHPP solar project of 2OMW, and we are now progressing to the fully funded implementation of these two components under the World Bank Funded RESPITE project.”
He said it is also based on the fact that the World Bank and the West African Power Pool have funded, and are nearing the completion of, the full and bankable feasibility study for a second 150MW hydro project on the St. Paul River, while preparing the options for a Via Reservoir and generation feasibility study.
President Weah observed that “Liberia’s future economic and social development is intrinsically linked to the development of affordable energy”, adding that the country’s political, economic, social and national security must be enhanced and secured by what he called “a level of energy sovereignty”.
“International partners continue to work in full coordination with our Minister of Mines and Energy and his staff, with the management of the LEC, the Minister of State Without Portfolio and the President’s Delivery Unit,” he stressed, further indicating that the Minister of Mines and Energy remains the project proponent and the LEC as the project implementation entity.