Russian Technologies May Be Attractive for Development of Lebanese Energy Sector – Beirut
BEIRUT, September 3– Russia’ s experience in technology can be in demand for the construction of power plants in Lebanon and the installation of the country’s energy system control that was destroyed as a result of the massive blast at the Beirut port on August 4, Raja Al-Ali, an adviser to the energy minister and the head of the Electricity of Lebanon company, told…
BEIRUT, September 3 (Sputnik) – Russia’s experience in technology can be in demand for the construction of power plants in Lebanon and the installation of the country’s energy system control that was destroyed as a result of the massive blast at the Beirut port on August 4, Raja Al-Ali, an adviser to the energy minister and the head of the Electricity of Lebanon (EDL) company, told Sputnik in an interview on Thursday.
“Subsequently, the blast had destroyed a dispatcher control of the energy system and the building where it was located. Therefore, opportunities to acquire and install a modern mobile dispatcher control are being discussed. I think that Russian specialists have wide experience in this field and it can be in demand,” Al-Ali said.
There are no tough requirements to participate in Lebanon’s tenders, Al-Ali added, noting that the country’s authorities are ready to help Russia’s companies overcome bureaucratic red tape.
Beirut is considering the possibility of establishing three new power facilities, the senior official said, adding that this measure will contribute to addressing the issue of electricity shortages that the country has been facing for several decades.
“Of course, we would like to see Russian companies on this market,” the EDL’s chairman noted.
Lebanon’s power sector has long been facing a crisis, particularly, in the area of electricity supplies. Before the Lebanese Civil War, lasting from 1975 to 1990, eleven major power plants supplied most of the country’s electricity, as they were connected in a common distribution network. During the war, the energy sector was seriously damaged.
To date, the electricity generation capacity in Lebanon still does not meet the demand, with power blackouts being common across the country, coupled with high tariffs.
The August 4 massive blast caused by the improper storage of 2,750 tonnes of explosive ammonium nitrate — confiscated by customs services in 2014 — in the Beirut port, brought widespread destruction and left at least 200 people killed. Thousands of others were injured.
