A partial view of Zone A of the solar farm in Mount Coffee, Mont. County/ DayLight/ Harry N. Browne.
A partial view of Zone A of the solar farm in Mount Coffee, Mont. County/ DayLight/ Harry N. Browne.
BENTOL, Montserrado – Under the scorching sun in Mount Coffee, Lower Montserrado County, rows of nearly 40,000 solar panels stretch across rocky ground. Liberia’s first-ever solar farm is part of efforts to reduce carbon emissions, strengthen electricity supply, and transition toward renewable energy.
The facility’s 40,000 solar panels produce 710 watts each, along with 52 inverters connected to stations and substations that transfer electricity into the national grid. Crushed rocks spread across the facility help trap and redistribute heat energy to support power generation efficiency.
The 20-megawatt facility, funded by the World Bank under its Regional Emergency Solar Intervention (RESPITE) project, is expected to increase Liberia’s energy generation capacity by 15 percent, while reducing the country’s dependence on heavy fuel and diesel-powered electricity generation.
“I think we have a great opportunity to improve our energy capacity and the economy. All we need is to muster the courage and work hard for it to happen,” said Dominic Gono, RESPITE’s project manager.
Construction of the solar farm began in October 2024. Initially estimated at US$15.8 million, the project cost later increased by US$5.7 million because of additional operational and infrastructure expenses.
The first phase of the project complements Liberia’s hydroelectric power generation, supplying solar energy to Montserrado County and surrounding communities, particularly during the dry season when water levels at the Mount Coffee hydropower plant usually decline. It is already supplying electricity to the national grid, even as construction continues, Gono said.
It is also intended to enhance economic growth in Montserrado, an urban settlement with nearly 2 million people.
Ophelia Vah is a resident of the Mount Coffee community, a petty trader who sells water and beverages. She believes that solar energy would help them once it starts to power the national grid, mainly during the dry seasons.
“When the solar energy becomes stable, it will be a blessing to us and to Liberians in general because we will not be suffering from the heat,” she said. “With the coming of the solar system, we are hopeful the situation will change.”
The World Bank has described the Mount Coffee solar project as a significant public-private partnership capable of strengthening Liberia’s energy sector and accelerating economic growth.
Pascal Donohoe, a World Bank official, said the initiative demonstrates the type of energy investment the institution intends to support in Liberia.
“This project will serve as an example of the type of initiative and partnership that the World Bank Group aims to support in Liberia’s power generation sector,” Donohoe said, per the Liberia Electricity Corporation.
Liberia’s climate gains thus far
Valued at over US$21 million, it is also seen as a major step toward helping Liberia fulfill its international climate commitments.
Liberia has a moderate emission rate of 4.3 tonnes per capita per year, a level consistent with the climate action requirement, according to Global Climate Change data. Despite the country’s low emissions, it made commitments to the international community, or Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). It has committed to add 150 megawatts of clean energy to its national energy plant.
“If we want to implement our NDC, we have to go to renewable energy. That’s why that Mount Coffee project is important, but not only that project; we have smaller projects like the one at EPA,” said Dr. Emmanuel Yarkpawolo, the Executive Director of the EPA.
Emissions caused by fossil fuels—in coal, oil/gas and other things—hurt the climate and are by far the largest contributor to global climate change, accounting for around 68 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Scientists say greenhouse gas emissions blanket the earth, trap the sun’s heat and, subsequently, warm up and change the climate.
Liberia’s contribution to climate change is negligible, but, like other African countries, it bears the brunt of climate change, such as changes in rainfall, crop failure and coastal erosion. The country needs US$2.5-3 billion to fulfill its climate pledges, but it requires more financing and technology.
“Renewable energy is very important to Liberia and the global community,” Yarkpawolo said. “The traditional way of generating power through fossil fuels has been detrimental to environmental sustainability
This story first appeared in The DayLight, and now here as part of an editorial collaboration.
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