Electricité du Liban (EDL) will produce 1,550 MW of power between July and September. This means that only 13 hours of power a day will be provided across all areas.

Greater Beirut will maintain its current higher power level  of approximately 21 hours daily.

The State-run power firm said it has submitted a request to the Council of Ministers to determine the contribution ceiling to EDL for the second half of 2014. “Providing fuel for power plants is increasingly becoming a burden to the public Treasury because of the huge difference between the cost of producing one kilowatt hour and its selling price in light of the increase in international oil prices versus the fixed low local tariff,” a statement from EDL said.

EDL is shutting down production entirely at Tyre and Baalbek power plants. The cost of their operation is too high, the EDL statement said. Jiyyeh plant production will be scaled down to 100 MW. The plant’s production facilities are ageing, which also raises the cost of operation.

All three mentioned plants will operate only in case one of the less costly plants fails.

Power from Syria will only be transferred upon necessity. Hydraulic power production will almost completely stop due to water shortages.

“The EDL regrets having to take these measures but we hope citizens understand the balance between power production and the critical situation of public budget,” the statement read.