Where is HPX, Ivanhoe $5 Billion Liberty Corridor Project?

MONROVIA – Once heralded as a game-changing infrastructure vision for West Africa, the so-called “Liberty Corridor” project spearheaded by High Power Exploration (HPX) and its Liberian arm, Ivanhoe Liberia has silently fallen apart. Instead of delivering on their $5 billion promise to build a modern rail-port corridor from Guinea through Liberia, HPX now appears to have abandoned that ambition to pursue a political campaign aimed at dislodging ArcelorMittal Liberia (AML) from operating the country’s key railway.

In 2023, HPX, the Government of Liberia, and the Guma Africa Group jointly unveiled the Liberty Corridor blueprint: a new heavy-duty railway linking Nimba, Guinea, to a deep-sea port in Didia, Liberia; road upgrades; renewable energy infrastructure; and broadband connectivity. It was touted as transformational  a beacon of regional development and independence.

Today, that vision lies in shambles.

Not a single feasibility study has been published. No environmental or community consultations have taken place. The proposed port site remains untouched, and the Guma Group once described as HPX’s cornerstone development partner — has disappeared from the conversation without explanation. There is zero evidence that the Liberty Corridor is advancing in any form.

Instead, HPX has redirected its energy toward a controversial campaign: it is pressuring the Liberian government to strip ArcelorMittal Liberia of its role as the operator of the Yekepa-Buchanan railway a line AML rebuilt with over $800 million in private investment. HPX, which has invested nothing in the railway, now wants operational control over it.

This pivot is not only reckless, but potentially disastrous for Liberia’s economic future.

Originally, the Liberty Corridor was marketed as a self-contained alternative to existing rail infrastructure — one that would bring new jobs, revenue, and independence. Now, two years later, HPX’s only active strategy appears to be to undermine the only functioning rail operator in the country. Their demand for an “independent operator” raises urgent questions about national cost and capability.

If Liberia were to grant HPX’s wish, it would face immense burdens:

Funding a new regulatory and operational system

Establishing monitoring bodies, safety protocols, and dispute mechanisms

Delays in onboarding users and generating revenue

Potential conflict over scheduling and standards

All of these would come at taxpayer expense  a high-stakes experiment in replacing a proven operator with an untested alternative.

Moreover, the status of Guma Group — the firm HPX once called a strategic partner — remains a mystery. Guma has issued no public update on the Liberty Corridor’s status. Its silence casts doubt on whether the project was ever viable, or if it was merely a public relations stunt.

The broader implications are alarming. HPX’s campaign to oust AML threatens more than one company’s role — it could derail a $1.2 billion expansion that promises 2,000 jobs, vocational training, tax revenue, and sustained economic growth. Stripping AML of its operator role could stall this progress indefinitely and signal to global investors that Liberia is an unstable partner.

In reality, AML’s amended Mineral Development Agreement already provides for third-party rail access. HPX’s push goes beyond access — it demands control without contribution. It rewards those who invest in lobbying, not development.

The Government of Liberia now faces a crucial test: Will it stand with investors who build, or yield to those who merely disrupt? Will it protect the gains already made or risk them for empty promises?

HPX’s abandonment of its own multi-billion-dollar project in favor of political agitation is a warning. Liberia cannot afford another grand illusion. The time has come to choose builders over brokers and development over distraction.