Electricité du Liban (EDL) has implemented preventive measures until the anticipated delivery of the allocated diesel cargo for December 2023, aiming to prevent a potential blackout.
In an official statement, the public supplier outlined the necessity of these measures to extend the energy production period, ensuring an uninterrupted power supply for citizens around the clock. Essential facilities such as the airport, port, water pumps, and sewage systems will be sustained to avoid any total blackout. Since December 3, EDL has been compelled to temporarily deactivate a production unit at the Deir Ammar plant to preserve fuel stocks, resulting in a reduction of approximately 125 megawatts in total production capacity. This unit is set to resume operations upon unloading the first portion of the scheduled December cargo, thereby restoring the regular power supply.
The delay in the diesel delivery is attributed to procedural deficiencies in the public tender processes conducted by the Ministry of Energy and the intricacies of initiating the documentary credit.
Initially slated for December 6, the diesel delivery is now rescheduled for December 26.
It’s noteworthy that Lebanon’s electricity production heavily relies on the Zahrani and Deir Ammar power plants, both contingent on the monthly diesel supply provided to EDL by the Ministry of Energy through an exchange agreement established with Iraq on July 23, 2021. Under this agreement, Iraq furnishes fuel to Lebanese power plants on favorable terms. Enacted since September 2021, the agreement stipulates a monthly fuel quantity of 100,000 tons (with 80,000 tons designated for use by power plants due to the swap). As Iraqi fuel cannot be directly utilized in Lebanese power plants owing to its high sulfur content, Lebanon procures a compatible fuel type from other selected suppliers through a tender process. These suppliers, in turn, receive Iraqi fuel in exchange.
