Officers of the Arab Electrical energy Regulators Discussion board (AERF) and African Discussion board for Utility Regulators (AFUR) in Cairo Egypt. PHOTO/UGC.
By FRANLIN N. KWENAH
in Monrovia, Liberia
As international efforts to fight local weather change intensify, international locations like Liberia stand on the crossroads of financial alternative and environmental sustainability.
Liberia’s wealth of pure assets positions it uniquely to contribute to the worldwide struggle in opposition to local weather change whereas fostering nationwide development. Regardless of the nation’s plentiful renewable vitality potential, the vitality sector stays largely underdeveloped.
Nonetheless, Liberia has the chance to harness its untapped assets, akin to hydropower and photo voltaic vitality, to handle each vitality entry and local weather objectives.
Liberia’s Power Problem and Alternative
Liberia is wealthy in pure assets, but entry to electrical energy stays a major problem. With solely about 20% of the inhabitants linked to the nationwide grid, and most of that within the capital, Monrovia, the overwhelming majority of Liberians lack dependable entry to electrical energy.
This vitality hole hinders financial improvement and exacerbates the challenges of local weather change mitigation. Nonetheless, Liberia’s plentiful renewable vitality assets, significantly hydropower and photo voltaic, provide a promising path ahead.
The federal government, beneath President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., has not too long ago taken essential steps to enhance vitality entry and foster financial development. A key initiative on this regard is Govt Order No. 138, which offers tax exemptions for the Liberia Electrical energy Company (LEC) to facilitate the growth of electrical energy entry throughout the nation.
This order removes customs duties and the Items and Providers Tax (GST) on important gear for vitality technology, transmission, and distribution, in addition to on gasoline prices, together with heavy gasoline oil (HFO), to stabilize electrical energy costs. By decreasing prices, the LEC can develop its buyer base, modernize its transmission methods, and provide extra reasonably priced electrical energy to Liberians.
“It is a important step towards driving financial resilience and bettering public service supply in Liberia,” President Boakai stated in a latest assertion. He emphasised that the federal government’s focus is on supporting key sectors, together with vitality, to enhance the standard of life for all residents.
Monetary and Infrastructure Challenges
Regardless of the constructive coverage steps, financing and infrastructure improvement stay main challenges. The dimensions of funding wanted to modernize Liberia’s vitality sector is substantial, and whereas Liberia has made progress in securing worldwide local weather financing, extra funding is required.
Worldwide organizations such because the Inexperienced Local weather Fund and the World Financial institution have been instrumental in offering funding, however the nation’s vitality transition would require sustained funding in renewable vitality infrastructure, significantly in rural areas the place entry to electrical energy stays restricted.
On the COP29 summit, the Liberian authorities emphasised the necessity for elevated financing to help local weather mitigation and adaptation. Liberia’s vulnerability to local weather change—manifested by means of rising sea ranges, deforestation, and unpredictable climate patterns—makes the event of unpolluted and reasonably priced vitality options all of the extra pressing.
The Promise of Renewable Power
Liberia’s renewable vitality potential is huge and largely untapped. The nation’s rivers, together with the St. Paul, Cavalla, and Lofa rivers, current monumental potential for hydropower technology.
With an estimated hydropower capability of over 1,000 MW, lower than 20% of this potential is at the moment in use. Increasing hydropower might considerably improve the nation’s electrical energy provide and assist meet each home and regional vitality calls for.
Photo voltaic vitality is one other key useful resource. Liberia receives plentiful daylight year-round, making it perfect for decentralized solar energy options, particularly in rural areas that lack entry to the nationwide grid.
Lately, personal sector investments and worldwide partnerships have begun to discover photo voltaic vitality options, with small-scale photo voltaic tasks serving to to deliver energy to off-grid communities.
One instance is a 25 kW photovoltaic (PV) photo voltaic plant in Totota, Bong County, operated by the Liberia Engineering and Geo Know-how Firm. The plant provides electrical energy to over 40 households and companies, and it’s backed up by a diesel generator to make sure dependable energy within the occasion of inadequate daylight.
The mission, commissioned by former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in 2016, is an instance of how photo voltaic vitality can present dependable, off-grid energy to underserved communities.
Liberia’s International Position in Local weather Mitigation
Liberia’s transition to renewable vitality shouldn’t be solely about home advantages but in addition about contributing to international local weather motion. As a signatory to the Paris Settlement, Liberia has dedicated to decreasing greenhouse fuel emissions and growing its local weather resilience.
The nation’s Nationally Decided Contributions (NDCs) embody a dedication to cut back dependence on fossil fuels and speed up the adoption of renewable vitality sources.
Liberia’s renewable vitality transition is supported by a variety of worldwide companions. In Cairo, Egypt, the Liberia Electrical energy Regulatory Fee (LERC) has been actively collaborating within the Arab Electrical energy Regulators Discussion board (AERF) and the African Discussion board for Utility Regulators (AFUR), the place key discussions on vitality laws, cross-border vitality commerce, and infrastructure improvement are going down.
These boards foster regional collaboration and partnerships which can be important for advancing vitality safety and effectivity.
Worldwide improvement organizations such because the United Nations Improvement Programme (UNDP), the European Union, and the US Company for Worldwide Improvement (USAID) are offering technical help, coverage recommendation, and funding to help Liberia’s vitality transition.
Moreover, the World Financial institution has performed a key position in financing large-scale vitality infrastructure tasks, together with the rehabilitation of the Mount Espresso Hydroelectric Plant, which has been pivotal in increasing Liberia’s energy provide.
The African Improvement Financial institution (AfDB) has additionally been a major associate within the improvement of renewable vitality in Liberia. By the New Deal on Power for Africa initiative, the AfDB has labored with Liberia to create a roadmap for scaling up vitality entry by means of renewable sources akin to photo voltaic and wind vitality.
A Name for Motion
As Liberia strikes ahead with its vitality transition, a number of key actions are important for making certain that the nation’s vitality future is clear, secure, and reasonably priced. First, the federal government should proceed to strengthen its coverage and regulatory frameworks to advertise renewable vitality improvement and create an setting that draws personal funding.
Second, increasing and modernizing the electrical energy grid is essential to attach extra Liberians to the nationwide grid, significantly in rural areas, whereas supporting off-grid options.
Moreover, investing within the expertise and capability of the subsequent technology of vitality professionals will probably be important for managing and sustaining renewable vitality methods. Coaching technicians, engineers, and different vitality specialists will be sure that Liberia has the human assets wanted to maintain its vitality transition.
Lastly, Liberia should proceed constructing robust partnerships with worldwide improvement companions to mobilize financing and technical experience for large-scale renewable vitality tasks. With the appropriate insurance policies, investments, and partnerships, Liberia can unlock its renewable vitality potential, cut back its carbon footprint, and supply tens of millions of individuals with entry to wash, reasonably priced vitality.
In doing so, the nation is not going to solely meet its home vitality wants but in addition make a significant contribution to international local weather mitigation efforts, making certain a sustainable future for its individuals and the planet.
Liberia stands at a important juncture in its vitality transition, with a chance to harness its plentiful renewable assets to drive financial improvement, enhance vitality entry, and contribute to international local weather objectives.
By persevering with to spend money on renewable vitality infrastructure, strengthening coverage frameworks, and fostering worldwide partnerships, Liberia can remodel its vitality sector, mitigate local weather change, and supply a brighter, extra sustainable future for its residents.
