Progress report for the electricity plan

Few actual action for 5-year plan in its first year due to political deadlock

June 22, 2011- One year after the announcement of the five-year plan for the electricity sector, Minister Gebran Bassil issued a progress report to assess what has been achieved so far and what projects are in the pipeline, ready to be executed in the next few months. Major topics outlined in the report are the following:

•Production of electricity: Buying electricity from dedicated ships (or floating generators) and the construction of a new 700-Megawatt power plant could be achieved any time, but await a decision from the Council of Ministers. The tender for the rehabilitation of Zouk and Jiyeh power plants will be launched at end 2011. A new draft law has been sent to the Council of Ministers to authorize partnership with the private sector in order to build additional power plants.

•Transport: The Mansourieh high-tension link should be achieved as soon as security issues are properly handled (i.e. people’s protests).

•Control: The National Control Centre should be completed in November 2011.

•Distribution: The tender for the sub-contracting of daily maintenance works and meter-installation (by private companies) should be processed in July 2011. The actual work would start in October.

•Other energy sources: the gas coastal pipeline is awaiting financial resources, so are all other natural gas-related projects, as a new source of fuel for the power plants. A renewable energy bill has been sent to the Council of Ministers for approval.