One hour of additional
electricity coverage

Rising demand will bump power by 180 MW

Electricité du Liban (EDL) is raising power production by 180 MW to decrease outages and cope with rising demand.

There is wide gap between the average supply in electricity (1,650 MW) and the 2,000 MW in demand. It has been exacerbated by the heat waves and increased demand due to the influx of Syrian refugees. During the summer, demand spikes to 3,000 MW. This figure includes power consumed by citizens and produced by both EDL and private generators.

The overall power production capacity from thermal power plants and hydropower plants is 2,258 MW, according to EDL figures.

The two Turkish power ships, Fatmagul and Orhan Bey were requested last week to raise production by 40 MW, to reach 310 MW. A source at Karadeniz, the company operating the two ships, said that the contract stipulates the production of 270 MW by both ships, but they will comply with EDL’s request. The two ships have a joint capacity to produce 400 MW.

The Baalbek and Tyr power plants were also put back online. “We normally operate these two plants in emergencies and since we’ve reached the demand peak, we have put the two plants online,” said Marie Tawk, an EDL spokesperson. Each of the two plants produces 30 MW. Hydropower production has also been raised by 80 MW.

The increase is about seven percent of the demand and 12 percent of the supply. According to Karim Osseiran, Energy Advisor at the Ministry of Energy and Water, the additional electricity produced will increase coverage across the country by 60 to 90 minutes. “The additional electricity coverage will be distributed by EDL,” he said.