The Management of the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) wishes to apologize to its valued paying customers for the exceptionally high level of load shedding currently being endured.
This is due to a combination of factors:
- The increased demand (to almost 60 MW peak) caused by the connection of over 37,000 new customers during 2021 and over 4,000 in January 2022.
- The early arrival of Dry Season (December 2021) resulting in an unprecedented reduction in the water levels at the Mt. Coffee Hydro Power Plant, which means we do not have adequate water to run the generators. At present, we are only able to operate 1 out of 4 turbines for 6 hours a day. However, with continuous reduction in water levels, Mt. Coffee may not be able to generate sufficient power until the rainy season resumes in April.
- LEC’s almost total reliance on Bushrod Thermal Power Plant which has a limited maximum output of 33MW which is far less than the 60 MW required.
- LEC’s constrained finances and inability to pay for sufficient fuel to run the full 33MW of generators at Bushrod, due to unsustainably high levels of power theft.
It is to be noted that while LEC has met all the technical requirements to connect to CLSG and has drawn energy from CLSG for test and commissioning purposes, the final legal and commercial conditions have not been agreed upon yet.
This matter has been escalated to the Government of Liberia who are working tirelessly to find a resolution.
As a consequence, LEC is constrained to operate the following extreme Load Shedding Schedule effective 00:00hrs, Saturday, February 19, 2022.
The LEC Load Shedding Schedule indicates the timeframes feeders will supply power and the locations that will be affected. Please note that, from time to time, system conditions, such as higher than expected loads or faults, may dictate extended load management hours beyond the stated times. This will be communicated to the customers through defined channels.
The LEC Management calls upon its customers to conserve electricity at this time to ensure that projected loads are not exceeded, which could result in further load shedding.
Thanks for the understanding and patience as we work together to improve our services.