Following the blackout in Lebanon on Saturday afternoon, glimmers of hope are appearing, and solutions are beginning to take shape.
On Sunday, the Board of directors of Électricité du Liban (EDL) announced that it had approved the supply of around 5,000 kiloliters of petroleum derivatives to the Zahrani power plant, financed by a loan approved by the caretaker Minister of Energy and Water, Walid Fayad.
At a meeting of the public supplier’s Board of Directors held on Sunday, it was also agreed to cover the cost of the diesel cargo to be purchased and supplied to EDL by the Ministry of Energy and Water – General Directorate of Petroleum, as part of the public tender based on a resolution by the Council of Ministers.
EDL points out in a press release that since May 2024, it has been stressing as “urgent and very important” to all concerned parties the problem of any fuel shortage that could affect the sustainability of energy production and lead to the forced shutdown of production at the Zahrani and Deir Ammar plants.
The public supplier asserts that it received no official response over the past two months, until it received Council of Ministers Resolution no. 49 of August 14, 2024, followed by the Minister of Energy and Water’s letter no. 135/T/23 of August 14 as well.
“At the same time, EDL was continuously taking preventive measures to extend the energy production period as much as possible in order to supply the Lebanese state’s vital facilities, including water pumps, the airport, and ports,” the statement reads.
EDL says it still needs information on cargo and supply issues under the Iraqi swap agreement so that it can organize and program its production policy, knowing that it will implement the resolution of the Council of Ministers No. 49 of 14/08/2024 under which 430,000 tons of Iraqi fuel oil and part of the arrears accumulated by the Lebanese State will be paid on condition that payment is made by transferring the funds in Lebanese pounds, resulting from the payment of electricity bills by the Ministry of Finance on behalf of public administrations and institutions, to the account of the Central Bank of Iraq.
EDL will restart a unit of the Zahrani power plant that went out of service on Saturday afternoon (around 150 thermal megawatts), depending on the available stock after receiving the diesel fuel, giving priority to powering Lebanon’s vital infrastructure (airport, port, water pumps, etc.) at the present time. Following the delivery of additional quantities of fuel, electricity will be gradually restored.
Algeria also informed the caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, that it would immediately supply Lebanon with diesel fuel to help it get through the ordeal the country is facing.
Électricité du Liban (EDL) announced on Saturday that its power plants would cease to produce electricity, as the diesel stock had been completely exhausted, despite the preventive measures taken since July 27 and the various warnings issued by the public electricity supplier.
These measures had been taken to preserve fuel reserves, guarantee the supply of electricity to citizens for as long as possible, and maintain a continuous power supply to vital installations such as the airport, port, water pumps, and sewers.
