Vital Facilities Secure Power as National Grid Goes Down

Overnight, the state-run Zahrani Oil Installations began pumping five million liters of fuel oil to the Zahrani power plant through the connecting supply line. This move comes just a day after Lebanon’s state utility, Electricité du Liban (EDL), announced that its power plants had run out of fuel oil, leading to a halt in electricity production.

In a statement, the director general of the Zahrani Oil Installations confirmed that the fuel transfer commenced after all necessary administrative, technical, and legal procedures were completed. EDL’s board of directors is scheduled to meet on Sunday to issue a statement regarding when the power plant will be operational again.

However, the director general cautioned that the electricity generated from this fuel supply will be limited to powering the state’s critical infrastructure. This decision followed extensive negotiations.

Lebanon has faced severe electricity shortages for years, a situation worsened by the ongoing financial crisis that began in 2019. Most homes and businesses now depend on generators and, increasingly, solar panels, as the state typically provides only a few hours of electricity each day.

The limited state electricity supply is largely dependent on fuel oil from Iraq, but Lebanon’s failure to pay for the fuel has led to complications in this arrangement.