BEIRUT: Authorities in Lebanon are racing against the clock to resolve an electricity crisis that threatens to plunge the country into total darkness, officials said yesterday, reports Arab News.
Utility provider Electricity of Lebanon said it was “fighting tooth and nail” to find a solution before the lights go out at Beirut’s airport, port and presidential palace.
The problem arose after Al Zahrani power plant ran out of gas oil and ceased operations.
Roumieh Central Prison is also on the brink of darkness. The families of its inmates blocked a road in Baalbek on Friday in protest against the situation. They said their relatives had been deprived of food since catering companies stopped supplying prisons.
A source from EDL said the company was now set to use grade B gas oil instead of grade A, after the idea was approved by its board of directors, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Energy Minister Walid Fayad.
The plan also requires the use of the remaining diesel from the Tyre thermal power plant, so EDL can restart the Zouk thermal power plant today.
The authorities also agreed to reduce the production at Al Zahrani plant from about 200 megawatts to 40 MW to provide electricity to the airport, port, Roumieh prison, water pumps, sewers, Lebanese University, parliament, government headquarters and the presidential palace.
EDL said it was awaiting delivery of a gas oil shipment from Iraq but that could take between 20 and 30 days to arrive.
Electricity production at EDL’s plants has been dependent on the Lebanese-Iraqi agreement, as the dates for when electricity from Jordan will arrive and the extraction of natural gas from Egypt will begin are still unknown.
Funding for both projects has yet to be secured by the relevant authorities.
After meeting President Michel Aoun yesterday to discuss the crisis, Fayad said resolving the problem would require the use of the gas oil from Al Jiyeh and Zouk power plants.
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