Liberia Secures Over $7 Million Boost to Complete Run-of-River Hydropower Plant, Expanding Clean Energy Access

Liberia has received a fresh lifeline in its push to deliver reliable, renewable power to thousands of households, as the African Development Fund (ADF) on Wednesday approved an additional $7.41 million to complete the country’s flagship run-of-river hydropower project in Nimba County.

The financing approved by the ADF Board in Abidjan, will plug cost overruns linked to construction delays and strengthen underfunded components such as project management and the implementation of a Gender Action Plan. The ADF, the concessional arm of the African Development Bank Group, said the added support would ensure that the plant and its related infrastructure are fully delivered and safely integrated into Liberia’s national grid.

Communities across Nimba and neighboring Bong County, the project promises more than improved electricity supply, showcasing a development from energy poverty to new economic possibilities. Once operational, the 9.34-megawatt run-of-river plant at Gbedin Falls is expected to generate 56.5 gigawatt-hours of clean electricity annually, enough to power small businesses, clinics, schools, and households that have long relied on diesel generators or gone without any power at all.

Around 60,000 people stand to gain new access to electricity, with 6,650 households expected to be directly connected. Local traders, women-led enterprises, and youth-run workshops are among those anticipated to benefit from more stable power. A crucial factor in job creation and income growth in a region where livelihoods often depend on small-scale commerce.

The project highlights Liberia’s ongoing efforts to stabilize and modernize its electricity sector. An area that has tested successive governments since the end of the civil war. Improving energy access has become a key benchmark for governance and development, with the government seeking to demonstrate tangible progress in rural electrification and infrastructure delivery.

The hydropower plant’s link to a cross-border transmission line also hints at broader regional ambitions. By integrating into West Africa’s interconnected power network, Liberia aims to strengthen energy security, reduce reliance on costly thermal generation, and position itself as a more active player in regional power trade.

Away from the plant itself, the project includes the construction of an 8-km evacuation line, two transformer substations, 50 km of distribution lines, and both temporary and permanent access roads. These roads are expected to improve mobility for surrounding communities, easing access to farms, markets, and social services.

The project’s Gender Action Plan that is now receiving additional funding, climaxes its social equity dimension. The plan promotes women’s participation in project-related employment, supports female entrepreneurs using the new electrical connections, and ensures women’s representation in community consultations related to land use, safety, and resettlement.

Initially approved in 2019, with implementation beginning in 2021, the Liberia Renewable Energy for Electrification initiative is one of the country’s most significant renewable infrastructure investments since the rehabilitation of the Mount Coffee Hydropower Plant. When complete, the Gbedin Falls facility is expected to contribute nearly 7% of Liberia’s total electricity supply, a meaningful increase for a nation where demand far outstrips available power.

However, the transformation hoped-for is more immediate for local residents: lights that stay on, businesses that can operate after dusk, health centers that can refrigerate medicines, and children who can study with reliable power.

As the African Development Fund’s latest support moves the project closer to completion, Liberia edges one step nearer to a future where clean, affordable electricity is not a luxury, but a foundation for development and shared prosperity.