Electricité du Liban issued a statement revealing additional precautionary measures as part of a series of steps taken for some time to avoid darkness. In the statement, it noted: “In reference to previous statements by Electricité du Liban, particularly the most recent one dated 27/06/2022, and since the Zahrani and Deir Ammar plants are the only thermal plants still in operation, receiving only one shipment per month of fuel oil for Electricité du Liban through the Ministry of Energy and Water - General Directorate of Oil, according to the exchange agreement between the Republic of Iraq and the Republic of Lebanon.
Given that the shipment of fuel oil for June 2022 unloaded in the tanks of the Zahrani and Deir Ammar plants was very low, not exceeding 33,900 metric tons, which barely suffices to operate the plants for 18 days at half their capacity, not 30 days, and noting that the institution prioritizes feeding the essential vital facilities in the country (airport, port, water pumps, sewage, essential state facilities...), it is expected that the fuel oil shipment designated for July 2022 will arrive in Lebanese territorial waters on 25/07/2022. However, it will not unload its cargo immediately until the oversight companies appointed by the General Directorate of Oil take samples on board and perform laboratory tests at the Bureau Veritas - Dubai labs to ensure compliance with specifications. This process will take a few additional days, and unloading will not occur before 28/07/2022 at the latest in the tanks of the two concerned plants.
Electricité du Liban indicates that, as a result, and to avoid the occurrence of total darkness and to extend the energy production period as much as possible, it has taken additional precautionary measures as part of a long-standing series of actions, which included:
- Forcibly stopping production at Deir Ammar plant on the morning of Sunday, 03/07/2022, to conserve its stock for use after resuming operation on 08/07/2022, in order to increase hours of supply as much as possible during the Eid al-Adha holiday.
- Continuing to operate the Zahrani plant at half its capacity until its entire fuel oil stock runs out, expected to go out of service on 19/07/2022.
- Continuing to operate the Deir Ammar plant alone until the expected arrival of the July fuel oil shipment and the commencement of the unloading process on 28/07/2022, after which the Zahrani plant will be resumed and production capacity will be restored.
Electricité du Liban is compelled to take these precautionary measures because if production were to continue at the previously established pace, the country would inevitably face total darkness for nine days between 19-28/07/2022, resulting in a total disruption of supply to all essential vital facilities in the country (airport, port, water pumps, sewage, essential state facilities...).
