The government has held preliminary talks with a Brazilian company, Vale, over the rehabilitation of the country's major hydroelectric facility, situated at Mount Coffee on the St. Pauls' River on the outskirts of the capital, Monrovia, which was substantially damaged in the early years of the Liberian conflict. The discussions with Vale took place on the sidelines of the first Liberian Mining Energy and Petroleum Conference, held in Monrovia in early April and sponsored by existing investors, including a global steel giant, ArcelorMittal, BHP Billiton (Australia) and Repsol (Spain). The repair of the Mount Coffee facility would greatly boost the country's electricity output, which currently stands at 64 mw. This includes a recently opened 13-mw plant that is intended to supply street lighting in Nimba, Grand Gedah and Maryland counties in the coming months. The Mount Coffee project could take up to two-and-a-half years to complete, providing employment and a boost to the local economy.