The CEO of the General Electricity Company of Libya (GECOL) Ali Sasi said power network undersupply is still affecting finding a radical solution to power outages this summer, especially in Ramadan.
“Not finishing the planned projects, including Ubari gas power plant, which was supposed to supply the power grid starting April 2018 with 640 megawatts, led to the lingering undersupply and outages.” Sasi told reporters.
He also cited looting and sabotage acts at power plants as a reason for the persisting power outages across Libya, adding that southern Libya needs new cables to keep up with the environment there, which he said is not possible now.
Ubari gas power plant’s ENKA – Turkish company – workers left the project unfinished and nonoperational after four foreign engineers (Three Turks and one South African) were kidnapped. Since then, GECOL tried to coax the Turkish company into resuming work in Ubari, but ENKA conditioned that to the release of the kidnapped engineers.
Adding to that dilemma, two weeks ago, GECOL reported that a Libyan national in the southern district of Al-Shati stole a car laden with materials needed to operate one of the power plants in the region, causing more power outages in the south.
GECOL has been using load shedding, especially lately as heat degrees started to increase in Libya before the coming of summer.
Among the issues facing GECOL is the supplies as fuel and gas needed to operate the power plants are on sliding shortages, not to mention looting and military clashes near the power stations.
