Dispute over Power-Vessels, Deal with Iran to Deepen Electricity Crisis

The electricity crisis emerged back to the surface amid reports saying that Prime Minister Najib Miqati is seeking to refuse the leasing of power-generating vessels, while officials are still discussing the possibility of receiving a back-up from Iran.

According to An Nahar newspaper published on Wednesday, Electricite du Liban decided to ink an agreement with Iran to begin supplying Lebanon with 25 megawatts of power starting April, which would reach 100 megawatts in September.

Informed sources told the daily that the two countries need to strike the deal and wait for the establishment of a network that would connect Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.

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.

However, Iran’s deal with Lebanon might provoke the international community amid the international sanctions on Tehran.

Electricite du Liban sought to inquire the foreign ministry about the possibility of signing a deal with Tehran “especially when the deal would inflict a high cost on Lebanon.”

The sources noted that receiving electricity from Iran and the leasing of power-generating vessels are two “separate” issues.

The ships would be a temporary solution until the rehabilitation of the Zouk and al-Zahrani power stations ends.

On Tuesday, reports said that Miqati is leaning towards refusing the leasing of the vessels due to their high cost.

Ministerial sources told An Nahar however, that the PM and Finance Minister Mohammed al-Safadi will go ahead with the ships plan as the ministerial committee tasked with finding a solution to Lebanon's electricity sector will head to Turkey and the United States to look into the tenders offered.

“The electricity issue is crumpling,” a member of the committee told the daily.

Environment Minister Nazem al-Khoury, who is also a member of the committee, said that the committee hasn’t decided yet on the date of its next meeting.

“I hope that we’re not heading to a new cabinet crisis, the issue of leasing the power-generating vessels shouldn’t become (the reason for a new) political dispute,” he added.

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.