Byblos Energy ready
to generate electricity

Awaiting approval of the Council of Ministers

Byblos Advanced Energy (BAE), the company that requested a power generation permit to cover the Jbeil area, has finalized its environmental impact analysis report and is ready to start operations.

“The ministry of environment will review the report and may put forth recommendations to improve the environmental process of constructing the plant,” said Mario Chlela, board member of BAE. The report will be sent to the Council of Ministers, which will either approve or dismiss the project. After the approval, the company may start developing the plant.

BAE is planning to independently generate power by developing a Heavy Fuel Oil plant. Upon its completion, the company will no longer draw power from Electricité du Liban, generating all of the Jbeil area’s electricity needs.

The power generation capacity of the plant will be 64 MW in the first phase. The production capacity will reach 200 MW in the following phase. It will distribute power through the networks used by the existing concession, Electricité de Jbeil (EDJ). The power generation model in Jbeil is different from that of Zahle because the Electricité de Zahle concession generates power through small diesel generators. BAE, on the other hand, is a privately owned company that will sell power to the EDJ concession. This explains the different administrative process used by the EDJ to cover its concession area.

Concerning the cost to the end consumer, the average subscriber in Jbeil has a 30 ampere meter and additional ten amperes from private generators, paying a total monthly bill of $150 (50+100), according to Chlela. BAE is planning to sell power for 37 percent less, which means a monthly price of less $100.

The BAE plant will be established on a 30,000 square meter plot in Jbeil’s Rihaniyeh, Berbara area. It is a non-residential area near the Amchit Port, which is convenient for fuel supply. The land is leased through a long term contract for $500,000 per year.

The project will cost $68.5 million, 30 percent of which will be funded through equities and 70 percent will be split between $38 million in long term loans and $10 million in working capital facilities. The plant construction period should take nine to 12 months. It is expected to employ 25 employees.

There are currently 25,000 subscribers in EDJ split among Jbeil city and 14 villages around it.

BAE’s other board members include Chairman François Bassil, who is also Chairman of Byblos Bank , and Elie Bassil, General Manager of EDJ.