Lebanon seeks additional 600 MW amid ongoing energy crisis

Shafaq News/ Lebanon has announced its need for 1,200 megawatts of electricity to address its ongoing energy crisis, with Iraq currently supplying enough fuel to generate 600 MW.

Lebanese Minister of Energy and Water, Walid Fayyad, stated that the energy crisis in Lebanon is largely due to the country's financial collapse, noting that "Iraq provides Lebanon with sufficient fuel to generate 600 MW of electricity." However, Fayyad emphasized that "an additional 600 megawatts are needed at this stage to reach a total of 1,200 MW. This would enable us to implement the emergency plan to revive the electricity sector and increase the hours of power supply."

Fayyad also highlighted the importance of securing multiple energy sources to avoid potential crises, such as the recent delay in the delivery of Iraqi fuel due to logistical issues.

On August 16, 2024, Lebanon's Electricité du Liban (EDL) announced that the last remaining production unit on the national power grid had gone offline, resulting in a complete blackout across the country due to the depletion of gas oil reserves at the Zahrani power plant.

Earlier, on July 11, 2024, Fayyad revealed that Iraq's State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) had halted the unloading of fuel shipments destined for Lebanon due to the country's failure to pay outstanding debts for the second consecutive year.

Lebanon and Iraq signed an agreement in July 2021 to import one million tons of fuel oil to alleviate Lebanon's electricity crisis. The first shipment, carrying 31,000 tons, arrived in Lebanon on September 16, 2021.

Under the energy exchange agreement, Iraq provides Lebanon, which is enduring its worst economic crisis in history, with heavy fuel oil in exchange for "services and goods" that Iraq will receive from Lebanon.

In response to the difficult circumstances facing Lebanon, the Iraqi Council of Ministers approved the fuel oil sale agreement extension in August 2022, continuing its support for the Lebanese people during their time of need.