Miqati Says Decision on Leasing Power-Generating Vessels Pending
Prime Minister Najib Miqati refuted reports that he is seeking to reject the leasing of power-generating vessels to end the country’s lingering electricity crisis, local newspapers reported on Thursday.
Miqati informed ministers during a cabinet session held at the Grand Serail on Wednesday that the decision hasn’t been made yet, saying that it all depends on the committee tasked with finding a solution to Lebanon's electricity sector, according to An Nahar newspaper.
The electricity crisis debate emerged back to the surface after media reports said that Miqati is seeking to refuse the leasing of the ships, while the officials are mulling the possibility of receiving a back-up from Iran.
Energy Minister Jebran Bassil expressed his surprise at the reports concerning the vessels, saying “advisors headed to the United States and Turkey to ponder the tenders offered.”
According to al-Joumhouria newspaper, the cabinet agreed on inking a deal with Iran to begin supplying Lebanon with power.
Media reports said that Iran will provide Lebanon with 25 megawatts of power starting April, which would reach 100 megawatts in September, if the two sides agreed.
Bassil told reporters that the agreement was adopted by the government led by PM Saad Hariri in 2010, but it wasn’t issued.
He denied that the deal with Iran seeks to provide Lebanon with electricity. “The media exaggerated the deal with Iran as the agreement states that Lebanon welcomes an agreement with Tehran to fund Lebanon with $450 million to help it rehabilitate its electricity sector.”
In February, Iran said that it will supply Lebanon, Syria and Iraq with 1,300 megawatts of electricity within a couple of months, whereby Iraq would get 1,000 megawatts while Syria and Lebanon would share the remaining amount.
Lebanon has long suffered from electricity outages because of shortages at its power plants whose maximum capacity is less than 1,500 megawatts but the country’s actual need exceeds 2,300 megawatts.
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