First Power-Generating Ship Set to Arrive in Lebanon
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
The first of the two Turkish power-generating vessels is expected to arrive in Beirut soon, reported the daily An Nahar on Saturday.
It said that the “Fatmagul Sultan” set sail on Friday, but it did not disclose when it is scheduled to arrive in the country.
The arrival of the ships had been subject to numerous delays.
Reports in December had expected the ship to arrive in Beirut in April even though it was initially expected to dock in Lebanon in November 2012.
Energy Minister Jebran Bassil explained at the time that the delay was attributed to the government's failure to provide the costs of leasing the ships from Turkish power company Karadeniz.
The cabinet agreed in 2012 to lease power-generating vessels that would help provide 700 megawatts of electricity for a period of three years.
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.
09 February 2013, 07:52
312
The most expensive ship in lebanon's history. Israel will enjoy bombing it.... Thanks to hezbollahs provocations and terror bombings.
09 February 2013, 10:50
39
Dear FT, the reason why a person is $200-$300 for the neighborhood generator is because of ur tofl el mu3jize Gebran Bassil. He has ruined the electricity as he did with the cell phone. The reason for these high bills is because there is no electricity so the neighborhood generators have to run longer leading to higher operating costs because of the ever increasing fuel costs (Wizaret el ta2a --> Gobrano ;)). So how they say in arabic : "Kif ma bramta el 7a2 3al wazir el feeshel".
09 February 2013, 16:37
00
Dont forget 50-60% of the population ( Hezballah ) don't even pay their electric bills . Who dares to ask them for it . Incompetent Animals .
09 February 2013, 19:30
11
No offense FT--but in the 3 years that Bassil has been at the helm, not a single power is being built nor is one even planning to be built as the one in Deir Ammar was rebid upon, because Bassil's company didn't win the bid. A
Before you say that he is trying to get the lowest bid possible, the bid on the Turkish ships was rebid after Bassil did the initial bid and the cost was lowered significantly after that. Face it, Bassil is incompetent and with his FIL, he would have been sacked long ago.
09 February 2013, 20:57
11
They weren't built under his initial plan because well for one, he had a bad plan (details if you want them) and 2) he wanted $800MM put into the ministries account to build the power plants, and get this with NO oversight. Remember his temper tantrum after he tried to mock this portion.
Now, you want to defend his actions, fine, but his incompetence has been revealed. If he is such a great minister, why do people have 80% less power than they did when he assumed his post? You want to blame the other side (conspiracy if he want the emulate HA), but he should be able to adapt and get shit done. Bottom line, if he can't and he cares about the country, he should let someone else assume the post (don't care about which party). Actions speak louder than words and by his actions, the sector has regressed significantly.
10 February 2013, 08:13
10
FT, you are an apologist, and obviously in your eyes, Aoun the Bassil are two parts of the trilogy and can't do no wrong. As for my 80%, in my personal residence, the bills used to be around $300 every two month 3 years ago--now it about $100. A family member in Mansourieh used to get bills of $250 three years ago and now his bill is around $60. You want me to do the math, or are you comfortable with the basics?
Bassil's plan called for paying for a 700 megawatt plant with cash--who the hell pays for something that big with cash? Even the gulf states won't do that. When people called for him to seek soft loans, he went off in one of his little fits--now it seems that he has to do it. You of course, won't blame his incompetence but rather say it is someone else's fault, like he does.
Actions are louder than words--by his actions, he is silent.
09 February 2013, 08:44
00
At last the longly awaited solution to our national energy crisis .looking forward to see improvement in the service .
09 February 2013, 09:24
00
Flame thrower. Your entitled to your opinion... but why the personal attacks.. you believe in democracy freedom of speech so why not let people air their opinions without your insults.
09 February 2013, 09:56
23
"that would help provide 700 megawatts of electricity for a period of three years."
and after? any plans made to build modern plants? or is it just another crutch?
09 February 2013, 10:18
26
This is a purely a cover up for stealing public money by the oh so clean FPM. It would have been much more efficient if the money was invested in a plant that gains electricity from burning garbage. It can be clearly built up to the european standard and has more benefits than ships ruining the lovely shores. But what can I say about this tofl el mu3jize Gebran Bassil.
09 February 2013, 10:29
34
Now the filthy militia will have to pay for electricity. Or will they just tap out the Lebanese ones?
09 February 2013, 11:43
03
This is a necessary temporary fix. It takes anywhere between 2-3 years to bring a power plant from planning phase to deployment. The problem is that if we do not move ahead with long term plan, this temporary fix will be an expensive long term plan. But I agree with FT in one way, considering that this government opted for the Hanoi model (resistance vis prosperirty), it may be better to lease these ships as there will be third party protection for them. Same for oil and gas, we should only deal with countries that have the ability and will to protect their interest.
09 February 2013, 11:43
03
This is a necessary temporary fix. It takes anywhere between 2-3 years to bring a power plant from planning phase to deployment. The problem is that if we do not move ahead with long term plan, this temporary fix will be an expensive long term plan. But I agree with FT in one way, considering that this government opted for the Hanoi model (resistance vis prosperirty), it may be better to lease these ships as there will be third party protection for them. Same for oil and gas, we should only deal with countries that have the ability and will to protect their interest.
09 February 2013, 12:07
14
3 YEARS HAAAAAA.... I bet 10% of Mr. Bassil's and Mr. Aoun's commission that they shall be extended to like 5-6 years
09 February 2013, 13:04
02
600 MILLION??? there must be some mistake bro, that is barely enough money to last them more than 2 months!! :P
09 February 2013, 13:07
01
anyone knows how much electricity this ship will give, and how much will become the total capacity countrywide with it?
10 February 2013, 05:46
10
Ya 7abboub, i like using your terms, and replying to the thread at the top, when you talk about your real estate boom, 50% increase, wallla, mich aleel, where did you get this figure from, i bet your so called boom came straight after the 2006 war, correct? people love being bombarded, so they build and invest more. Woy chou kamen faster internet? LMFAO.
09 February 2013, 13:48
03
Personally I'd want to keep the bulk of my opinion distant from the political overture, much in preference of the technical/financial alleviation side. As a businessman, with several employees under my care, anything to help alleviate the power problem is always welcome and as far as I'm concerned, the color of the hand that is bringing it about doesn't really matter, even if I know that in this case this would bring about a plus to the minister's party and alliance. Once the public sector starts providing electricity to the nation on a much better basis, then the government can at long long last start making income from which it too can pay its due to its workers and renew and expand its power generation system. The private sector is currently under a lot of duress and thus needs reliable power amongst other services, if the private sector is gone, then it would be fair to say, Lebanon too is gone, food for thought.
09 February 2013, 14:01
03
(2). The national company, just by providing reliable electricity to the nation will be at the same time be destroying the very base from which the Electricity Mafia plus the Mazout Mafia will be killed. We all know, that when government electricity is not forthcoming, the Mafia takes over and skins us alive, that including the Mazout mafia. Then we come full circle to the Municipalities, pretty much most of them have found a niche market to murder the Lebanese citizen with hiking the cost of the 5 amperes to dizzying heights. WTF do have the municipalities have got to do with fixing the cost of Mafia electricity if it only means to murder the people!? The cost of the Mafia electricity is nowadays almost equivalent to a house rent lest we say more? Then when costs go up, people cut down on the ampere requirement. So let government provide us with 24 hours power, and we will most happily pay what we owe them every month.
10 February 2013, 13:13
00
Sure Saad, I cannot disagree with your views, very pertinent indeed. But you see, hydroelectric plants are not cheap and would need amongst others,a much bigger source of water which in our case we don't have. However it doesn't mean that we should turn our backs to this God given resource, even though it will not address our problems all on their own, but hydroelectric plants will go quite some way in alleviating our power problems.
09 February 2013, 14:09
03
(3). Finally, some years ago, during the first Miqati government in 2005, there was my most favorable personality by the name of the honorable minister Demianos Kattar. His suggestion was the best and remains our best alternative. This means us buying reliable electricity from Turkey, 24/7, a lot cheaper, a lot less overheads, zero atmospheric pollution and no more cuts. Power would be transported either over land cables or sea cables. The national company would put an end to the chronic sickness of dead employees (since 30 years or so) claiming to work till now plus overtime and other methods of theft. Now that finally the ships are expected, and long overdue relief is now a possibility, let us please, please, please consider Mr. Demianos' plans. It will serve the citizen first and foremost.
09 February 2013, 14:22
00
"It said that the “Fatmagul Sultan” set sail on Friday" -- yeah right, that Friday is just like Aoun's Tuesday in "Tuesday the Syrian revolt will be over"
09 February 2013, 14:24
05
It took NASA less time to land on Mars than it took this ship to come from Turkey to Lebanon.
09 February 2013, 15:22
00
Billions were spent on the Electricity company while electricity is still cut daily. Shouldn’t some of these who governed be held responsible for that? Why should we use ships to generate electricity? This way is fraught with all sorts of kickbacks and corruption because the deal could be done without going through the standard procedures for establishing a process that leads to electricity generation. Now I know why basil wants this speedily? He’s trying to fill his pocket before one of two things happen: 1. His F-I-L dies or his party is toppled if things in Syria change. I think after all he’s very smart. I though he was stupid and I was mistaken.
09 February 2013, 16:02
11
it is a sign of GREAT incompetence that no lebanese gvt solved the pb of electricity for such a tiny country! those who throw the blame on M14 only forget that the ministry of energy was often held by M8ers!
so neither M8 nor M14 are to blame because they are ALL to blame for their inefficiency and corruption! and bassil is only another incompetent minister who will solve nothing.
and people still vote for them, pityful country....
09 February 2013, 20:28
11
try not to forget what aoun always said when he was in france: that our debt was mainly caused by syrians who stole the treasury not by lebanese...
you seem to forget that easily to suit your FPM propaganda that everything was caused by hariri and sinioura only.....
09 February 2013, 17:27
12
All of this because the Shia don't pay for electricity. The 800 pound gorilla in the room nobody ever mentions.
This fiasco will further bankrupt the country.
09 February 2013, 18:02
01
In the end we will pay whatever were told to pay, the only saving grace is that as Lebanese we have eternal hope. Irrelevant we hope to get a few more hours of electricity and inevitably we will pay more and more for less and less. Glorification will come to those involved with this fiasco as they will be the Gods to pray and pay homage to... Stop the river waters from flowing blame everyone for it and then sell them bottled water. bless our leaders
09 February 2013, 21:02
11
I will be hated for this comment. But I prefer the private generator business to be regulated and that we slowly stop receiving government electricity. Private generator owners will not tolerate non payment and will shut off non payers. Eventually, the sector would privatize this way, and we close EDL. On a second step, we would consolidate teh private generators into power plants and have a private electricity company. Sorry Nabih berri. no more useless positions and free electricity.
09 February 2013, 23:29
00
No offense, this would never be a gd idea or even a remotely considerable one.One of the biggest electricity generation costs is POLLUTION and not money. The better your reactor is built the more efficient it runs...same logic goes for cars and every generator out there and that is the reason why electrical cars are less pollutant than conventional one!...the small car engine take around 20% of the energy of the fuel burn yet huge a conventional modern power plant can squeeze up to 80 or 90% and thats why electrical cars are a better solution!!..following this logic if we can burn less fuel to make more electricity we can pay less and pollute less!!! Driving cost down and pollution down the ships are a good enough STARTER idea as long as maintenance is done on the current plants and some new ones get built!! I see this as a positive sign as long as it is step of a larger cleaner leaner plan that would clean the whole sector (unlawful employees to shortages)
10 February 2013, 13:18
00
LF, I believe that in general you've hit the nail on the head, but personally I would steer well away from the current so-called private sector power suppliers. They are the worst of the Mafia culture in Lebanon, cannot be trusted and at best are still made up of a rag tag collection of poorly regulated generator owners. Privatize? Yes and yes, but let foreign companies be invited to tender, win, operate and help us fix the dismal situation. When I say Foreign, I mean 100% foreign with no trace of Lebanese poison involvement. Why not E.D.F masalan?
10 February 2013, 13:23
01
Exactly FT, this is what I meant by poorly organized collection of generator owners. Not only we have a serious problem with atmospheric pollution but also noise pollution. I know some neighborhoods whose everyday life is pure hell because of that. No matter what they've tried, because of the power of the Lebanese Mafia, their money, political reach, (both ways), many residents are living in sheer hell. The solution is to close down all such generator owners, and sell this damn rotten, rickety and dead E.D.L to a foreign entity. There are so many big foreign companies that could easily take the relay and provide us with a lot cheaper power, 24/7. In fact all the damn country needs to be privatized, period.
10 February 2013, 09:27
00
Considering how lacking any sense or decency or even in some cases the need for truth and clear facts (like for instance, that the property prices hike started in 2006, after Hizb-Iran unilaterally provoked an Israeli invasion that destroyed half that property), I sometimes wonder if FT is not actually Aoun in disguise. Nafs el ghabéwé, nafs darajet el watawé, nafs îllit 7aya...
10 February 2013, 13:30
01
Sidon I may agree with you, but only to a point and no further. You see, FT does have a very valid point technically, but we also need to look at the picture in bigger perspective. First, we have that big poison called political rivalry. When M14 was in power, electricity was already bad, and M8 was playing not political opposition but pure saboteur. Today that M8 is in power, M14 has taken over the role of saboteur, instead of the role of political opposition. Two, we have a continuous growth in real estate and development when the power generation has remained what it was years ago. Three, a substantial part of the population does NOT pay its bills, Four, E.D.L is riddled with endemic corruption, graft, incompetence, humongous theft and archaic technology, so all in all, as the years pass, the problem is bound to be compounded ever worse. Which is why the solution needs to be radical all the way from the grassroots.
10 February 2013, 14:29
01
There is only one practical solution: privatization. Individual companies will protect their assets and theft will be eliminated and will try to make things more efficient to make more money. Additionally, it takes the political process out of it and allows the sector to improve on its own instead of depending on the whims of the political figures.
10 February 2013, 13:35
01
Sidon, enba7 sawtna woun 2oul lal ness, buy electricity from Turkey, buy electricity from Turkey. Ya ness, ya jame3a, this is the best route for us. We will buy nuclear generated power, a lot cheaper, 24/7. We will close down all those monstrous plants that belch so much poison on us, simultaneously we will kill off all all the rot associated with E.D.L, and kill off the Lebanese electricity mafia with the Mazout mafia. Productivity will shoot up, the economy will recover in no time, but the thieves, yes, the Ali Babas of this country will close shop. This is why no one wants to hear of it till now, TURKEY is the answer, anything else is too expensive.
10 February 2013, 14:01
10
Ft, still no maintenance and still no power plants--he promised 24/7 power initially by 2014 and now 2015--how do you think that will happen with ZERO power plants being built or planning to be built right now?
Do you need numbers to back this up or can you count to zero?
10 February 2013, 17:35
10
The M14 people are not my friends, but neither are the M8 people who refuse to accept responsibility and try to blame their ills on everyone else. Unlike you, I praise when there is something to be praised and criticize when there is something to be critical of regardless of party or camp. You, OTOH, are an M8 apologist.
Now back to the subject matter, you need a parliamentary majority when money is involved and parliament, rightly denied the $800MM that Bassil wanted deposited into the ministry's account, and with no controls to boot. He also didn't want to utilize soft loans that were available and were pushed on him by everyone else. Aside from that, there was the Zahrani incident (controlled by fellow ally Berri), the strike last summer (again Berri), and endless other problems. You want to blame the M14 camp--guess what, don't look outside your own house to get things in order.
Or did you selectively ignore this...
10 February 2013, 17:38
02
I may not be an expert in electricity but I do know my maths.
If Lebanon's Power plants can supply 1500 megawatts, and the actual need of Lebanon is 2300 megawatts, there are 800 megawatts "missing". Assuming that the ships can supply 700 there is still going to be an amount missing.
When/if does Lebanon intend building new power stations to cover this catastrophic situation?
