Algeria’s fuel for Lebanon unlikely to be usable immediately

After a week and a half of a nationwide blackout, Lebanon may not be able to immediately use a much-vaunted shipment of fuel given by Algeria, reported the National and agencies on August 29th.

Lebanon is facing a severe economic crisis and struggling to pay for its desperately needed fuel delivery. State electricity is only available for households and businesses for only a few hours a day.

Algeria’s latest donation consists of approximately 30,000 metric tonnes of fuel oil that can provide 250 megawatts of electricity for 20 days. The delivery came just as Zahrani, the only remaining operating power plant, ran out of gas ten days ago.

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Complications remain, however, as the fuel’s specifications must be tested to ensure it is compatible with Lebanon’s power plants. Even if it meets the requirements, the country will still not be able to use the fuel immediately as the power plants that utilise this fuel type are simply too old or no longer operational.

Walid Fayad, Lebanon’s Energy Minister, expects the fuel to comply with the standards of Lebanon’s power plants. The minister stated in confidence that the fuel produced by Algerian refineries is a “well-known” product, adding that it “has one of the best qualities in the market in terms of the amount of sulphur in it,”

However, sources in the energy sector have expressed doubts about finding a quick fix to the fuel crisis, as most of Lebanon’s power plants are inoperative. Fuel deliveries from Iraq and Egypt are also expected to boost production temporarily, but this will only keep the crumbling energy sector afloat for a short time.

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For nearly 30 years, the energy sector of Lebanon has been deteriorating due to a lack of investment and rampant corruption, which means many buildings fail to have round-the-clock electricity. The latest economic downspiral has only exacerbated the power crisis, leaving many Lebanese citizens to rely on expensive and polluting private generators.

Senior energy finance professional Mike Azar told the National that the “failure to acknowledge these root causes and pursue expensive short-term plaster solutions instead would be troubling,”

The National and agencies