Accelerating access to sustainable energy in Liberia

Context

Liberia is facing significant energy poverty, and only 28 per cent of the population has access to electricity – the majority of whom live in the capital Monrovia. There is a lack of access to electricity and modern lighting, particularly in rural areas and in the poorest households. The energy supply in healthcare facilities and schools in remote areas is often inadequate, and this is impairing medical care and affecting the learning conditions of children and young people.

The population uses biomass to cover most of its energy needs. Access to technology for affordable, clean cooking is limited to urban areas. Households in rural areas primarily use open fires for cooking, which poses considerable health risks.

Objective

Access to affordable, reliable and modern energy supply technology has improved, enabling Liberia to achieve socio-economic progress and contribute to climate goals.

Approach

The project supports access to decentralised, climate-friendly energy solutions in Liberia. It develops markets for off-grid solar (OGS) technologies and improved cookstoves (ICS) and supports health and education facilities. The target groups include disadvantaged and poor households, particularly in rural areas, and small and medium-sized enterprises.

The project finances and supports various measures by:

• Financing small solar home systems (SHS) for disadvantaged and poor population groups through Demand-Side Subsidies (DSS)
• Creating electricity access in health care facilities and providing solar-powered vaccine refrigerators
• Supporting fuel-efficient cookstoves for households and schools

The DSS project is implemented together with BRAC Liberia (as the fund manager) and in cooperation with the Rural and Renewable Energy Agency (RREA) and the World Bank.

The project is currently funded by the four core donors Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland.

Last update: April 2024