MOROVIA: The Chief Executive Officer of the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC), Professor Monie R. Captan, has disclosed that the LEC now has 22,000 customers.
He said LEC currently operates in the seven counties including Grand Cape Mount, Bomi, Bong, Nimba, River Gee , Montserrado and Maryland.
He disclosed that LEC has concluded plan to construct additional 150 Mega Watts hydro power plant in the Bong Mines areas.
Disclosing this at a Press Conference held, at the LEC”s office in West Point, in commemoration of its 50th Anniversary Celebrations, Professor Captan said LEC is a public utility created by the Government of Liberia.
It was created in 1973 and developed through an act of the Legislature with a mandate to produce and supply economic and reliable electric power to the entire nation.
According to him, simultaneously it was tasked with maintaining the corporation’s financial viability, intrinsic in this mandate is the responsibility for improving and expanding the system to meet future growth.
He said because of this mandate, the LEC obtained the responsibility of ensuring that efficient, reliable, and affordable electric power is available.
He added that meeting the increasing demand for electric energy in Liberia serves as a catalyst for socio-economic development.
He indicated that between 1973 to 1989, Liberia’s electricity service was largely limited to the Capital, Monrovia, and its surrounding area with only 35,000 customers, almost 13% of the population served by 1989.
He pointed that, the LEC also handled the electricity supply of rural areas outside Monrovia through 10 small, isolated power systems with a total installed capacity of 13 MW.
He said the Liberia’s electricity infrastructure was almost entirely destroyed during the periods of civil unrest in Liberia.
“Efforts have been underway since 2006 in order to restore the Monrovia grid, expand the mini-grid, and expand stand-alone power systems in the interior,” he added.
He emphasized that the LEC will shortly electrify the entire Robert International Airport (RIA).
He added that the ongoing construction of the ELWA to RIA road is delaying the process of RIA electrification by LEC.
