A high voltage electricity pylon in northern Lebanon. (Credit: Magaly Abboud/L'Orient-Le Jour)
BEIRUT — Multiple 220-kilowatt electricity stations — which supply several areas in Lebanon, including the southern suburbs of Beirut, Ras Beirut and Saida — have been inoperable since Sunday following a shutdown of the Zahrani power plant, a source at Électricité du Liban (EDL) told L'Orient-Le Jour.
These stations are linked to the Zahrani power plant, which is why they stopped working. The reason for the shutdown at power plant was not clear, though the Zahrani and Deir Ammar power plants often experience shutdowns due to a lack of fuel.
In July 2021, Lebanon signed a deal to receive Iraqi oil via a complicated arrangement under which Lebanon could exchange the incoming Iraqi heavy fuel — which is not suited to run power plants — for other fuel from third parties that could be used in the plants.
Iraq extended the deal in August to help Lebanon tackle massive electricity shortages amid an unprecedented economic crisis that has plagued the country since 2019.
In November, EDL increased its prices for the first time since the 1990s in an effort to improve electricity shortages, as it was barely able to provide two hours of electricity per day. However, the electricity supply did not noticeably improve.