Electricité du Liban Announces "Precautionary Measures"

The Electricité du Liban institution announced today, Wednesday, "precautionary measures until the arrival of the diesel oil shipment allocated for December 2023 for the institution." The following statement was issued: "Currently, the electrical energy being generated comes solely from the Zahrani and Deir Ammar plants, relying only on the shipments of diesel oil provided monthly to Electricité du Liban by the Ministry of Energy and Water - General Directorate of Oil, under the exchange agreement between the Republic of Iraq and the Republic of Lebanon. The first part of the diesel oil shipment intended for Electricité du Liban is expected to arrive on 12/26/2023 instead of 12/06-10/2023 due to the recent developments regarding the public bidding procedures conducted by the Ministry of Energy and Water - General Directorate of Oil, and the related opening of the documentary credit procedures. In light of this situation, which is beyond the control and responsibility of Electricité du Liban, the institution informs that it has begun to take precautionary measures to extend the energy production period as much as possible for citizens and to maintain electricity supply around the clock for the essential vital facilities in Lebanon (airport, port, water pumps, sewage, essential state facilities...), and to avoid complete blackout, especially as the country has entered the festive period. Since the peak of the night on Sunday, December 3, 2023, one production unit at the Deir Ammar plant has been forcibly stopped to preserve its reserve, which is expected to reduce the total thermal production capacity by approximately 125 megawatts, to around 500 megawatts; this production unit will be returned to service once the first part of the December 2023 shipment arrives and is unloaded, restoring the supply to its previous state."