Fuel shortages pushing Lebanese power grid to collapse

Fuel shortages pushing Lebanese power grid to collapse (ref. Ministry of EDL)

One billion dollars annually to keep the ailing system alive! No one can afford fuel anymore to run private or community generators.

Lebanon’s power grid is on the brink of collapse because of wars, rising demands, fuel shortages. Some provinces are unplugging local power stations from the national grid causing major havoc.

Electricity Ministry spokesman said last Saturday that power generation is only meeting half the national demand. (ref. Adnan Najjar) For the last 6 years there has been a daily power cut of 4 to 8 hours.

The shortages across the country are the worst since the 2006 summer war. Governmental power supplies in Lebanon (except Beirut) have been sporadic all winter and now are down to just a few hours a day - if that.

The water supply in the whole country has been severely curtailed by power shortages that have affected pumping and filtration stations.

Electricity shortages are perennial problems in Lebanon, even though it is rich in rivers, because of instability and shortage of collection and money to upgrade the electricity system.

The successive power shortages are only adding to the misery of the Lebanese brave people, who are already suffering from the exorbitant fuel prices paid to the owners of the back up fuel generators.

Outages make life almost unbearable in the summer months when it can reach over 35 C and winter months when temperatures can drop to below zero in the high mountains.

One of the major problems facing the national grid is the move by the fuel-generator owners to 1. reduce the overall amount of electricity being generated 2. double the bill from 50$ to 100$ for the 10 AMP and 100$ to 200$ for 20 AMP 3. completely disconnect the private generators serving private community because of the sky-rocketing fuel prices, and the increasing shortages caused by the national grid.

They have no choice because they are no longer generating a profit in return for what they produce !!! The Lebanese System D is not working anymore !!!

The national grid will collapse, and there will be no electricity winner. By then we will no longer need documentaries on the Stone Age. We will be living it.

Isn’t it a paradox for the country of the Phoenicians (God of Sun) and the pioneer of the PV systems (Kamal Sabah) and the land of more than 300 sunny days to live in darkness? !!

The solution to illuminate Lebanon The PV The Sun The Phoenix Technology

Thank you for you time and your attention! Elisabeth Davis-Karam & Dr. Clovis Karam, Phoenicia International Dec 5, 2007