Sierra Leone News: TRANSCO CLSG mirrors itself

Business

The objective of the West African Power Pool (WAPP) is to establish a regional electricity market in West Africa. TRANSCO CLSG is a regional transmission company, operational since September 2014 that is financing, constructing, owning and operating this network of transmission lines, in seven districts around the Country. The technical components of the CLSG interconnection line include an overhead wire carrying 225 kV. The wire network will run over 1,300kms through Sierra Leone and run through five regions. Out of a total of 11 sub-stations in the four West African states, Sierra Leone will have 5 sub-stations with 537 km of 225 KV power line through seven districts of Pujehun, Kenema, Kono, Tonkolili, Koinadugu, Bombali and Kambia. The project will run through a total of 24 chiefdoms, all unique in diverse culture and tradition. To further make work easier for implementing contractors and communities, a two day Bi-Annual coordination session has yesterday begun at the Radisson Blu, Conference hall, at Aberdeen in Freetown. For two days, representatives from the four Mano River beneficiary, West African states, including will frankly discuss issues and progress of the WAPP project. Interestingly, contractors who were successful to win bids to implement the project, are Chinese, Indians and French were not left out in the coordination and collaboration session, held twice a year, as they are very much important as the resources needed, in the realisation of the project, which is expected to be completed, early 2020. During the formal opening, which was witnessed by the Deputy Energy Minister, several issues came up from community mobilisation and engagement, challenges regards to duty waivers and port clearance, project compliance of safety and security, quality control, as well as timeliness of project delivery. These issues were all tabled and the General Manager of TRANSCO CLSG, Mohamed Sheriff, agreed that indeed there are bound to be challenges, noting that all four beneficiary states are developing countries, but that does not mean contractors should slow the pace of the work, and urged contractors show more commitment. “TRANSCO has committed to complete and deliver quality work on time, these countries need energy for survival, and the weight on my neck can be lifted, when work in all four countries is completed”. The Project Manager, CLSG Sierra Leone, Paul Saffa stated that the project compensates people directly along and under the corridors of the transmission line, but the Assistant Vice-President, Arvind Deshpande, of Kalpataru Power Transmission, which is the implementing contractor for Lot 3 and 4 raised the issue about some community residents who deliberately disrupt bush clearing activities, along corridors of transmission lines, alleging that they are yet to be compensated. On this issue Paul Saffa explained and made clarifications, noting that some community residents do not fall under the transmission line, but because some other residents who fall under the line are being compensated, naturally they feel left out. “A grievance committee to address all community issues are in place to engage such concerns, in order not to stall the work of contractors”, he assured. Jerry Taylor is the Country Manager, TRANSCO Liberia shared best practices of the Liberia experience noting that, it is almost same issues rising, but the beauty is that all concerned are brought together under one roof to openly dialogue on the way forward, and not blame one another. “Our Government is poised to work with all stakeholders in ensuring that we provide a sustainable, efficient, reliable and affordable electricity which will stand the test of time,” Eldred Taylor is the Deputy Minister of Energy, added that the energy statistics presents a stark reality that there is an urgent need to redouble efforts to ensure that Government provide accessible energy to every city, town and village. As he puts it, “Electricity is not a favour, nor luxury, but a necessity which is a human right, every responsible Government has to meet”. Taylor assured that the Energy Ministry together with the Ministry of Finance will endeavour to create the environment to further speed up the operations of contractors, but urged “Sierra Leoneans are in dire need of electricity, delays don’t count as they make the process more expensive. Excuses is a show of poor workmanship and lack of willingness to perform”. By Ade Campbell Thursday July 05, 2018.

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