KEY POINTS
- A $300 million wind energy project wins stakeholder backing in Liberia.
- The project requires no government funding and proposes a 20-year power deal.
- Early power generation of up to 40MW could arrive within eight months.
A proposed 200-megawatt wind energy project in Liberia cleared a significant milestone last week. Key stakeholders aligned behind the initiative at a high-level meeting on April 1, signaling the project is closer to moving from proposal to construction.
The virtual session brought together the Liberia Electricity Corporation, private developers, financiers and government bodies including the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Investment Commission. The meeting covered the project’s technical design, financial structure and a draft Power Purchase Agreement.
The developers, CICER-SAS and ITS LLC operating under Mandé Energy Liberia, are proposing a fully privately financed initiative. Thomas Quatlebaum confirmed the project has secured a letter of intent valued at approximately $300 million. The Liberian government and LEC carry no upfront financial obligation.
What the project involves
The initiative will use vertical-axis wind turbine technology developed by Prosto, a system designed to generate power efficiently at low wind speeds. That feature matters in Liberia, where wind conditions are not always strong. Annual generation is projected at roughly 665 gigawatt-hours, with a capacity factor of 38 percent.
Early power output of 20 to 40 megawatts could come online within six to eight months. Full project completion targets the third and fourth quarters of 2027. The draft PPA proposes a 20-year agreement at a tariff of $0.11 per kilowatt-hour under a take-and-pay structure. An insurance package valued between $25 million and $30 million covers major project risks.
Strong institutional backing at the table
The National Investment Commission Chair Jeff Blibo expressed clear support, citing Liberia’s urgent need for reliable power. Liberia’s Consul General in New York, Thomas Kaydor, endorsed the project and urged LEC to proceed with signing the PPA.
LEC Managing Director Mohammed Sheriff said the meeting resolved key concerns. He confirmed LEC will review the draft PPA and provide technical feedback, and requested a detailed implementation roadmap from developers.
Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo set the broader context early in the session. Liberia has committed to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 64 percent by 2035 under the Paris Agreement. Reducing dependence on costly diesel generation sits at the center of that target, and this project addresses it directly.
The technology developer, joining virtually from New Zealand, outlined plans to train Liberians to build and maintain the systems, adding a jobs dimension to the energy case.
