Energy company announces that Lebanon is entirely losing power

(MENAFN) Lebanon has been plunged into a complete blackout following the shutdown of its last operational power plant due to fuel depletion, according to the state energy company Electricite du Liban (EDL). The Zahrani power plant, which relied on oil, exhausted its fuel reserves on Saturday afternoon, leading to a nationwide power outage that impacts crucial infrastructure such as airports, ports, water supplies, sewage systems, and prisons.

The blackout highlights Lebanon’s ongoing energy crisis, exacerbated by the country’s severe economic troubles since 2019. EDL typically manages to provide less than five hours of electricity daily, with many Lebanese households and businesses dependent on diesel or petrol generators for additional power.

Lebanon lacks natural resources and imports all its oil, including the heavy fuel used in power plants. In 2021, Iraq offered to supply Lebanon with heavy fuel oil in exchange for services to Iraqi citizens, but the oil’s suitability for Lebanese power plants was compromised. Consequently, Lebanon must trade this oil for lighter gas oil on international markets, often at disadvantageous rates.

The Zahrani plant had been Lebanon’s only operational power facility since the shutdown of the Deir Ammar plant last month. While the country has five hydroelectric plants, they are either decommissioned or operating far below capacity due to age and wear. Power is expected to be gradually restored once fuel supplies are replenished.E: Hezbollah could strike Israel in coming days – CNN

MENAFN19082024000045015687ID1108575387