On August 16, Lebanon experienced a sweeping power outage as a consequence of disruptions in the operational flow of its two largest power plants, as disclosed by an insider from the state-run energy entity, Electricite du Liban.
According to TASS, turbines at the Deir Ammar power station in the country's north and the Zahrani power station in the south had to be brought to a halt due to unsettled debts with their operator.
The entire power grid was plunged into darkness on Wednesday evening, a situation that prompted Selim Faiyad, the Interim Minister of Energy and Water Resources, to undertake urgent measures to settle the government's outstanding debt to Primesouth, the private company operating the two power plants.
A similar scenario unfolded in Lebanon at the onset of January, during which authorities mobilized resources and cleared debts to avert a complete blackout. This ensured that critical facilities such as water pumps, sewage systems, Rafik Hariri International Airport, the seaport, Lebanese State University, and several hospitals remained powered.
According to the source, Primesouth made the decision to cease turbine operations at 5:00 PM local time after only $2 mn out of the owed $83 mn had been disbursed by the government.
During the summer months, due to fuel supply complications, Electricite du Liban curtailed electricity provision to the populace to 2-4 hours, with the remaining duration being managed by privately owned regional generators for residential and institutional use.
The crisis escalated with the termination of state subsidies for fuel and lubricants, a consequence of dwindling foreign reserves, which subsequently triggered an uptick in gasoline and fuel oil prices.
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