Rural Energy Strategy and Master Plan

In line with the Sustainable Energy 4 All initiative and the Sustainable Development Goals, Liberia aims to achieve the following in terms of rural electricity access:

• Electrification rate for the population outside of Monrovia of 10% in 2020, 20% in 2025 and 35% in 2030. We intend to electrify outside of Monrovia more than 65 000 customers already by 2020, 140 000 by 2025 and 265 000 by 2035.
• Electrify at least 2 000 settlements with grid infra-structure (national, decentralized or mini grids) connecting at least 50% of those settlement’s population by 2030.
• All County capitals will be already electrified before 2025. Electrification of County Capitals either through the National Grid, Decentralized Grids or Transitional Mini-Grids will be a priority of the Government.
• All Health facilities and Secondary schools electrified already before 2025. We intend to bring electricity to all health facilities and all secondary schools in Liberia either through grid-based electrification or through 100% solar based individual solutions.
• 10 largest settlements in every County will be electrified and no County will have less than 15% electrification rate by 2030. We intend to take electricity to the largest settlements across the country guaranteeing equity between Counties.
• Establish a credit/subsidy mechanism for connection of poor and woman-led households through REFUND and promote active participation of women in the jobs that will be created for electrifying the country. Energy access has to be inclusive offering opportunities for women and poorer settlements.

Rural Electrification map. The following map shows the future map of the power sector infra-structures if the targets are met and all projects of the Master Plan are implemented by 2030. The National Grid will be complemented by Large Decentralized Grids in Lofa, the Southeast Counties and Grand Gedeh that will extend from the on-going SREP and Cross Border initiatives. Multiple Solar/Diesel Low Voltage Transitional mini-grids will enable the electrification of the 10 largest settlements in each County in anticipation of the National Grid.

MAP OF THE LIBERIA'S POWER SYSTEM IN 2030

Combining grid extension with decentralized grids to electrify 1.3M people. The National Grid will develop mostly in the Growth Corridor area where the majority of the population are concentrated thus electrifying 66% of all rural consumers. The large decentralized grids will represent 27% of the consumers with 5% for mini-grids. Individual off-grid solutions will only bring electricity to 18 900 people (around 1%). 33% will be served by decentralized grids in excess of the 25% target established under Renewable Energy Policy of ECOWAS.

NUMBER OF PEOPLE PER TYPE OF TECHNOLOGY IN 2030 - NATIONWIDE VALUES

Minimum rural electrification rate per County of 15%. Rural electrification rate will vary per County according to the level of concentration of population and the proximity to the existing grid infra-structure. Nevertheless, decentralized grids allow for a more equitable electrification with no County having less than 15% of its population electrified by 2030.

RURAL ELECTRIFICATION RATE PER COUNTY IN 2030