Lebanon: EDL Special Measures During Pope’s Visit After Year-Long Power Outage Due to Sudden Technical Failure

Lebanon Electricity Corporation issued a statement stating that at 3:30 PM today, the electrical grid experienced a sudden and sharp drop in frequency, leading to a complete power outage (“Blackout”). The corporation reported that its technical teams were able to gradually restore power after reconnecting production units at the Zahrani plant. However, at 6:00 PM, during the process of connecting additional production units, an over frequency occurred, leading to the disconnection of the Zahrani plant from the grid again.

The corporation emphasized that the management, operation, and monitoring of the grid with the required efficiency poses a significant challenge in the absence of the National Control Center – NCC, which was completely destroyed during the Beirut port explosion on August 4, 2020.

The statement indicated that Lebanon Electricity Corporation is currently working to restore power gradually, explaining that on the occasion of the Holy See’s visit to Lebanon, most of the available production units will be placed on the grid to raise production capacity to about 900 megawatts, with the aim of enhancing the stability and reliability of the grid. Exceptional measures will also be taken during the next three days in conjunction with the visit, and these measures may affect the level of power supply in various Lebanese regions, and citizens will be informed of any developments by the corporation when needed.