The Lebanon branch of the World Energy Council held its first meeting of the year at the "Gefinor Rotana" hotel in Beirut, attended by Minister of Energy and Water Walid Fiad. The meeting focused on the distributed renewable energy law, which was approved by the Parliament under number 318/2024. More than 80 individuals representing key companies in the solar energy sector in Lebanon participated in the conference, as well as Kamel Hayek, the Chairman and Director-General of Electricité du Liban, leading a delegation from the institution.
In his speech, Minister Fiad emphasized the importance of this law, considering it "a significant legislative achievement," and a bright milestone in the development of the renewable energy market in Lebanon. He noted that "work on preparing the text of the law began in late 2019," and thanked "the government, members of the Committee on Public Works, Water, and Energy in the Parliament, as well as members of the sub-committee that discussed the text of the law until its approval during the general session."
He affirmed that "the actual achievement of the law is the liberation of the renewable energy market in Lebanon, allowing all private sector companies to invest in renewable energy projects and to sign energy sales and purchase contracts on-site and between adjacent sites starting now."
He considered that "some provisions of the law require executive procedures, for which the Ministry of Energy and Water has developed a roadmap in cooperation with Electricité du Liban," and highlighted "the significant role assigned to the regulatory authority for the electricity sector by the law."
He called on private sector companies to "take advantage of this important aspect, to continue developing the solar energy market in Lebanon." Minister Fiad concluded his address by thanking everyone who contributed to the achievement of this law, from the Parliament to Electricité du Liban, the Lebanese Center for Energy Conservation, and the EBRD (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development).
