Liberia Electricity Corporation

What Liberia Electricity Corporation does

Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) is the state-owned national electricity utility of Liberia, fully owned by the Government of Liberia and operating under the supervision of the Ministry of Mines and Energy. Founded in 1973 and headquartered in Monrovia, LEC is responsible for electricity generation, transmission, and distribution across the country, serving residential households, commercial and industrial customers, and public institutions. The utility is led by Managing Director Mohammed M. Sheriff and operates with a small core team despite managing national-scale infrastructure.

LEC's generation portfolio is a mixed-source system centered on the Mount Coffee Hydropower Plant (88 MW, restored to full capacity in June 2026 after a 2021 turbine accident), supplemented by a newly commissioned 20 MW solar plant, regional electricity imports of up to 50 MW from Côte d'Ivoire via the CLSG interconnection, and additional imports from Guinea. The utility is executing an aggressive diversification pipeline that includes a 40 MW thermal plant with SGTPL, a 23.75 MW solar-plus-storage project with Scatec/Release, a proposed 200 MW wind project with CICER-SAS, and a $500 million, 300 MW combined-cycle gas project in Buchanan with Tarpeh Global Initiative and Southern Company. On the distribution side, LEC operates the national grid, holds the primary LERC distribution license (expanded to three additional counties in November 2025), and is implementing a GSM-based smart metering program to detect illegal connections and reduce power theft.

The business model is a regulated, usage-based utility model: revenue is generated from metered electricity sales to customers across residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional segments, with tariffs set by the Liberia Electricity Regulatory Commission. The company is addressing a structural supply-demand imbalance — peak demand of 142–143 MW against domestic generation of approximately 108 MW — alongside 30–40% system losses, financial losses exceeding $18 million in 2023, and electricity access of only 38%. Capital expenditure is funded primarily through international development partners including the IFC ($165 million package), the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, rather than from operating cash flow.

Name

Liberia Electricity Corporation

Legal name

Liberia Electricity Corporation

Website

https://lecliberia.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) is the state-owned national electricity utility of Liberia, responsible for generation, transmission, and distribution of electric power to residential, commercial, industrial, and public-sector customers across the country.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electric Utility Services

NAICS

Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211), Solar Electric Power Generation (221114), Hydroelectric Power Generation (221111), Wind Electric Power Generation (221115), Electric Power Transmission, Control, and Distribution (22112)

SIC

Electric Services (4911)

akta.pro primary industry

Solar EPC & Construction (Utility-Scale, Rooftop, Balance of System) (EUAMABAB)

Keywords

• Electricity generation
• Power distribution
• Utility services
• Renewable energy
• Grid infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

Monrovia

HQ country

Liberia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Electricity Distribution and Sales: LEC generates revenue through the sale and distribution of electricity to residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional customers across Liberia. The corporation sets tariffs regulated by LERC and collects payments from customers for electricity consumed.
2. Electricity Imports: LEC imports electricity from Côte d'Ivoire and Guinea to address seasonal supply gaps and meet projected demand growth. These imports help supplement domestic generation shortfalls.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) is the state-owned national electricity utility of Liberia, producing and distributing electric power through a portfolio that includes the 88 MW Mount Coffee hydropower plant, a 20 MW solar plant, and a 23.75 MW solar-plus-storage project, with additional thermal, gas, and wind capacity in development. LEC distributes electricity across Liberia to residential, commercial, industrial, and public-sector customers through its owned national grid, supplemented by regional imports from Côte d'Ivoire and Guinea.

Product overview

Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) is a state-owned electricity utility providing power generation and distribution services across Liberia. The company operates a portfolio of energy generation assets including hydropower (Mount Coffee at 88 MW), solar (20 MW and 23.75 MW with battery storage), thermal (40 MW and 100 MW HFO plants), and planned gas (300 MW) and wind (200 MW) projects. LEC also provides electricity distribution services, recently expanded to three additional counties. The utility is implementing smart metering technology with GSM integration to combat electricity theft. The company's strategic plan targets 500-700 MW of domestic generation capacity by 2030 under the government's Mission 300 initiative.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mount Coffee Hydropower Plant A run-of-river hydropower generation facility with 88 MW installed capacity, supplying baseload electricity into LEC's national grid for residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional customers in Liberia.
• Solar Power Generation Solar photovoltaic power generation contributing to LEC's national grid, including a 20 MW plant commissioned in June 2026 and a 23.75 MW solar-plus-storage project under development in Margibi County.
• Thermal Power Generation (HFO) Heavy fuel oil thermal power generation capacity, including a 40 MW plant and a short-term 100 MW HFO solution deployable within 12 months, used to supplement domestic generation and address seasonal shortfalls.
• Gas Power Generation (Buchanan 300 MW) Combined-cycle gas power project with 300 MW planned capacity in Buchanan, developed in partnership with Tarpeh Global Initiative and technical partner Southern Company, targeting commercial operations by late 2029.
• Wind Power Generation (200 MW Project) Proposed 200 MW wind energy generation using vertical-axis wind turbine technology from Prosto, with approximately $300 million in private financing and a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement at $0.11/kWh under a take-and-pay structure.
• St. John Hydropower Project Proposed 316 MW hydropower development project as part of Liberia's long-term energy strategy to scale domestic generation capacity.
• St. Paul 2 Hydropower Project Proposed 250 MW hydropower development project as part of Liberia's long-term energy strategy to scale domestic generation capacity.
• Electricity Distribution Services National electricity distribution services across Liberia, delivered through LEC's owned grid to residential, commercial, industrial, and public-sector customers. Following an amended LERC distribution license in November 2025, LEC's service area was expanded to additional communities in three counties.
• Cross-Border Electricity Imports Electricity procured from Côte d'Ivoire (up to 50 MW via the CLSG interconnection line) and Guinea to supplement domestic generation shortfalls and meet projected demand growth.

Quantifiable outcome

• Electricity access expanded from 32% to 38% within one year, connecting over 63,000 households
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and flagship.

• CICER-SASmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 April 2026LEC participated in a high-level stakeholder meeting with CICER-SAS and ITS LLC (under Mandé Energy Liberia) to discuss a proposed 200 MW wind energy project. The project has secured a letter of intent valued at approximately $300 million, fully financed by private investors with no upfront cost to the Government of Liberia.
• ITS LLC (Mandé Energy Liberia)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 April 2026ITS LLC, operating under Mandé Energy Liberia, is the project developer alongside CICER-SAS for the 200 MW wind energy project. The project proposes a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement at $0.11 per kWh under a take-and-pay structure, targeting completion in late 2027.
• ProstocoreTechnology or Integration · 6 April 2026Prosto provides the vertical-axis wind turbine technology for the 200 MW wind energy project. The technology is designed for efficient energy generation in varying wind conditions and represents the technical foundation for the wind power development.
• Tarpeh Global InitiativeflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 March 2026LEC is partnering with U.S.-based Tarpeh Global Initiative and technical partner Southern Company to develop a $500 million, 300 MW combined-cycle gas power project in Buchanan, targeting commercial operations by late 2029. This represents one of the most significant energy infrastructure investments in Liberia.
• Southern CompanycoreTechnology or Integration · 30 March 2026Southern Company serves as the technical partner for the 300 MW Buchanan gas power project, providing technical expertise for the combined-cycle gas power development in partnership with Tarpeh Global Initiative and LEC.
• Scatec (Release subsidiary)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 October 2025LEC signed an agreement with Scatec's Release subsidiary to build a 23.75 MW solar power plant with battery storage in Margabi County, aiming for completion in 64 weeks. This project is part of Liberia's 'Mission 300' initiative supported by the IFC and World Bank, representing a core component of LEC's renewable energy expansion strategy.
• Société Générale des Travaux Publics L'Éclair (SGTPL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 October 2025LEC signed agreements with SGTPL to develop a 40 MW thermal power plant in Liberia. The project aims to diversify energy sources, reduce seasonal shortages, and promote sustainable electricity generation as part of the dual-track strategy to address immediate and long-term power needs.
• Release Utilities Africa Holding B.V.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 October 2025LEC signed agreements with Release Utilities Africa Holding B.V. alongside SGTPL for the 23.75 MW solar power plant with battery storage, in partnership with Scatec's Release subsidiary.
• Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 January 2025GEAPP introduced new energy access projects at the Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit, supporting the World Bank Group and African Development Bank's goal to provide electricity access to 300 million Africans by 2030. LEC participates in this initiative as part of Liberia's energy sector transformation.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Umeme Limited: Uganda's principal electricity distribution company operating a regulated distribution concession and purchasing bulk power from generators—closely comparable to LEC's distribution-license model, regulated tariff structure, and exposure to upstream generation shortfalls.
• Energie du Mali (EDM): Mali's state-owned integrated electric utility with generation, transmission, and distribution responsibilities and a similar reliance on imported power and donor-funded capacity expansion—closely comparable to LEC in scale, mandate, and West/Central African operating context.
• Société Nationale d'Électricité du Sénégal (Senelec): Senegal's national electric utility managing generation, transmission, and distribution under a regulated tariff framework—closely comparable to LEC as a West African state-owned integrated utility pursuing diversified generation (including IPP partnerships) to close a supply-demand gap.
• Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC): Kenya's state-influenced national electricity distribution utility with a regulated monopoly franchise, end-customer tariff structure, and mixed renewable/thermal generation mix—directly comparable to LEC's role as Liberia's national distributor with a diversifying generation portfolio.
• National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC): The Gambia's state-owned integrated utility providing electricity (and water) generation, transmission, and distribution—comparable to LEC in being a small West African state utility pursuing donor-funded generation expansion and facing access-rate headwinds.
• Société Nationale d'Électricité (SNEL): DRC's state-owned national electric utility operating generation (largely hydropower), transmission, and distribution under regulated tariffs—comparable to LEC's hydro-anchored generation mix, regulated distribution franchise, and chronic supply-demand imbalance.
• Société Béninoise d'Énergie Électrique (SBEE): Benin's state-owned electric utility with regulated distribution and generation activities—comparable to LEC's regulated franchise, customer-base expansion mandate, and reliance on imports (from the CEB/WAPP network) to bridge domestic shortfalls.
• Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG): Ghana's principal electricity distribution utility operating under a regulated franchise and procuring bulk power from generators—directly comparable to LEC's distribution license, regulated tariff model, and dependence on third-party/imported power to meet demand.
• ENEO Cameroon SA: Cameroon's integrated electricity operator (generation, transmission, distribution) under a concession-style arrangement—comparable to LEC as a Central/West African integrated utility operating under regulated tariffs and pursuing capacity expansion to meet rising demand.

Broad incumbents

• Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd: South Africa's vertically integrated state-owned power utility operating generation, transmission, and distribution across an African grid—comparable to LEC as a state-owned integrated utility, but at vastly greater scale and with similar challenges around aging infrastructure and tariff-cost recovery gaps.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lecliberia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Liberia Electricity Corporation