Lebanon Plunges into Darkness after Zahrani Power Plant is Shut Down
Lebanon was plunged into darkness Friday after employees shut down the Zahrani power plant in southern Lebanon after receiving threats from the local municipalities and street thugs, revealed Electricite du Liban in a statement on Friday.
It explained that the threats stemmed from the transportation of a MVA 40 transformer from the plant to Sidon’s main power plant.
The statement explained that the Zahrani plant can function with a MVA 20 transformer, which it currently possesses.
Lebanon has consequently lost 37 percent of its power production seeing as the Zahrani plant provides the country with some 430 megawatts of electricity, reported the daily An Nahar on Saturday.
Power was cut off from the majority of Lebanese territories, including main areas in Beirut.
The Electricite du Liban statement stressed that the shutdown is punishable by the penal law because it harms national security.
It demanded the Interior and Defense Ministries to immediately intervene and take the necessary measures to refer those behind the shutdown to justice.
As Safir newspaper reported on Saturday that Electricite du Liban General Manager Kamal Hayek contacted all concerned officials, including Energy Minister Jebran Bassil, to explain to them the severity of the Zahrani employees’ action.
The minister consequently conducted his own contacts with the concerned authorities and political sides to resume functioning at the plant.
Informed sources told the newspaper that it is not sure if the shutdown is politically motivated or not.
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