Lebanon signs power deal with Jordan
Lebanon, Beirut: Lebanon signed an agreement on 26 January to import electricity from Jordan via Syria.
Image source: France 24
Lebanon, Beirut: Lebanon signed an agreement on 26 January to import electricity from Jordan via Syria.
The aim is to reduce chronic outages and heeding international calls for reform. The agreement signed by Energy Minister Walid Fayad with his Jordanian and Syrian counterparts is expected to give Lebanon two extra hours of mains electricity a day, doubling the supply currently provided by the cash-strapped government which has struggled to afford fuel imports for its power plants.
“This is an important, historic moment for Lebanon, not because of its impact but because of its symbolism,” Fayad commented at a news conference.
He described the deal as a “modest but very important agreement for the Lebanese people, who need every extra hour of electricity,” as Lebanon has not had round-the-clock mains electricity since the end of the 1975-1990 civil war.
But an unprecedented financial crisis has led to power cuts lasting 22 hours a day, forcing most Lebanese to rely on expensive private generators.
Lebanon and Jordan also signed an electricity transit agreement with Syria, which said that it stands ready to connect its power grid.
Lebanon’s parliament must now ratify the agreement, which was funded by the World Bank, Fayad said, adding that he expects payments to be finalised within two months before the start of implementation.
Importing electricity from Jordan will cost Lebanon about $200 M on per year, Fayad disclosed in an interview last week.
Power sector reform is one of the key conditions set by international creditors for disbursing billions of dollars in desperately needed financial support.
Source: France 24
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