Libya officials discuss tackling power crisis causing blackouts

On August 20th, officials of Libya’s eastern government held an emergency meeting in Benghazi to address the electricity crisis in Libya, according to the Libya Review.

The meeting was hosted by Prime Minister Osama Hammad, Speaker of the House of Representatives Ageela Saleh and General Director of the Reconstruction and Development Fund, Belgassem Haftar.

The reviewed the technical and administrative issues preventing the General Electricity Company of Libya from keeping up with demands, which has resulted in several cities tackling partial and complete blackouts.

The blackouts are seriously affecting the stability of daily life, leading to the frustration of citizens and eroding their trust in the government.

Participants of the meeting highlighted how the shortages are putting a strain on hospitals, disrupting water supply systems, and halting production lines.

Saleh and Hammad both stressed that addressing the power crisis would require long-term structural solutions, not short term patch fixes.

The proposals discussed include launching new power generation projects, modernizing transmission infrastructure, and strengthening maintenance and supply systems. Participants of the meeting also agreed that closer coordination is required between legislative and executive bodies to speed up approvals for these projects and secure funding.

They also described electricity as crucial to economic growth, investor confidence, and the wider Libyan reconstruction progress, as well as a fundamental part of every day for citizens.

Without taking urgent and comprehensive steps to address these blackouts, they will continue and could intensify, further eroding public trust and jeopardizing development efforts, warned the officials.

Earlier this year on January 28th it was reported that Libya was looking towards Turkey as a partner in renewable energy to deal with electricity demands that were outweighing the nation’s fossil fuel availability.

Solving the electricity crisis in Libya will require a much more efficient use of national resources, including fossil fuels.

Libya Review/Maghrebi