A six-member high-level delegation from Sunon Asogli Power (Ghana) Limited in the Republic of Ghana, West Africa, on Friday, September 20, 2019, paid a courtesy call on the Vice President of the Republic of Liberia, Chief Dr. Jewel Howard-Taylor, at her Capitol Building Office in Monrovia.
The Delegation had earlier met with His Excellency, President George M. Weah before their courtesy on the Vice President.
The Chinese Company has entered a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Liberia to conduct pre-feasibility studies for investment in the development and operation of electricity generation, transmission and distribution utilities in Liberia, a Press Release from the office of the Veep said.
The Delegation which was led by Togbe Afede XIV, Director of the Sunon Asogli Power Ghana Limited, a subsidiary of Shenzhen Energy Group Limited, also had Mr. Qun Yang(Chairman of Sunon-Asogli and Shenzhen Energy Africa Development Unit) Mr. Kojo Wang(Director of Africa Projects Development Unit), Elikplim K. Apetorgbor( Manager Energy Trading, Research & Business Development) as well as Mr. Yan Wei(Commercial Manager).
They were accompanied to the office of the Vice President by the Minister of Lands, Mines and Energy, Honorable Gesler E. Muray, and then the Chairman of the National Investment Commission, Honorable Molewuleh B. Gray.
The Company, according to the MOU, will also set up a legally registered Liberia subsidiary once modalities for a power purchase agreement are reached with the Government of Liberia.
Vice President Howard-Taylor welcomed the delegation to her office and expressed appreciation to officials of the National Investment Commission, the Ministry of Lands, Mines, and Energy as well as her Office Chief of Staff, Honorable, George T. Nimely, for the coordinated effort to reach this far with the Agreement.
According to the Analyst Newspaper, the Vice President described Energy as crucial to the development and a major component of the President’s development agenda.
“Access to modern energy, especially in the lower-income developing countries, is an important factor for achieving key aspects of the Millennium Development Goals and supporting government’s Pro-poor Agenda for Prosperity & Development,” the Liberian Vice President told the Dele
Speaking earlier, the Director of Sunon Asogli Power Ghana Limited, Togbe Afede XIV, explained that the company does not only see a lot of potentials but also challenges, promising that following the feasibility studies, the company will present findings to the GOL and make application consistent with opportunities in the electricity generation, transmission or distribution.
According to him, the presence of the Chinese Company in Ghana has greatly impacted the energy sector, expertise he noted will be brought to Liberia to positively impact the energy sector.
For his part, Lands, Mines, and Energy Gesler Muray thanked the Vice President for the level of cooperation during the discussions while expressing optimism for a positive outcome from the MOU.
Minister Muray disclosed that the MOU for the pre-feasibility is enforceable for the period of six months and that the Government, through the Ministry of Lands, Mines and Energy and the National Investment Commission will recommend the appropriate next steps leading to power purchase between the GOL and the Shenzhen Energy following the review and validation of the findings presented.