The Zahrani plant in South Lebanon. (Credit: Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP file photo)
BEIRUT — George Brax, spokesperson for the gas station owners' syndicate, said in a statement that he hopes the issue of “diesel scarcity should be resolved, with oil facilities in Tripoli and Zahrani returning to pump this substance into the local markets.”
Here’s what we know:
• Brax pointed out that Tripoli and Zahrani facilities have traditionally secured 30 percent of the market needs and that they guarantee social security “especially since this substance is more than vital for heating and the production of electricity without which our daily lives are paralyzed."
• He added that a ship carrying 42,000 tons of diesel, “which was involved in an accident in Amchit and was withdrawn to the port of Al-Dahra last Sunday, it is still facing difficulties in unloading,” appealing to the concerned parties to “quickly find the required solutions so that it can unload its cargo as soon as possible.”
• Speaking to L’Orient Today, Brax said there have been issues with securing dollars to import diesel fuel needed to operate the facilities for the past month and a half, which led to the halt in electricity production.
• Last October, Deir Ammar and Zahrani power plants went out of commission and stopped all state electricity in Lebanon due to diesel fuel shortages.
• In January, workers of Tripoli’s oil facility announced a strike, and suspended work in all of the facility’s sections. They also halted fuel oil deliveries, and maintenance works.