Libya hit by severe heatwave and power cuts, leading to youth demonstrations and exceptional holidays
via Libya Herald2 min read
Libya is experiencing a severe heatwave coupled with acute power cuts, leading to youth demonstrations in areas like Tajura, Airport Road, Zawia, and Gaser Ben Ghashir. Demonstrators are blocking roads with burning rubbish and old tires, believing their areas are marginalized with longer load-shedding hours. Temperatures have reached up to 46.0 degrees Celsius in Misrata Airport. There are reports of youth intimidating GECOL personnel at electricity substations and even dangerously turning power on themselves. GECOL's load-shedding policy, which aims to distribute available power, still results in 6 to over 12 hours of power cuts, impacting hospitals, the elderly, and causing food spoilage. The power outages also affect mobile phone and internet services, contributing to public frustration. In response, some municipalities, including Tajura, Sug Il Juma, and Tripoli Centre Municipality, have declared an exceptional public holiday to ensure the safety of citizens and staff, with exceptions for essential services. Health warnings have been issued, advising citizens to avoid direct sunlight, drink plenty of water, and take measures to prevent heat exhaustion. A video also circulated of a man frying an egg in the sun in Bani Walid, highlighting the extreme temperatures.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Libya Herald.
The Man-Made River MMR system experienced a power outage on Thursday, July 23, at 6:52 am, affecting the Sarir and Tazerbo wellfields. This incident was caused by the shutdown of the first unit at the Sarir gas-fired power plant, resulting in 51 wells in Tazerbo and 92 wells in Sarir going offline. Power was restored to both fields by 8:00 am, and technical teams immediately began restarting the wells. To safeguard the pipeline network and maintain water levels in the Ajdabiya reservoir, the MMR announced that water supplies to certain cities and areas would be reduced for a 24-hour period, effective from the morning of the outage. The MMR stated that this measure was beyond its control and responsibility.
The National Oil Corporation NOC Chairman, Masoud Suleiman, met with TotalEnergies officials to review progress on joint projects and development plans for the North Jalo field. Suleiman highlighted North Jalo as a strategic initiative to increase output and production capacity. The meeting also addressed the poor state of infrastructure at Waha Oil Company fields, stressing the need for rehabilitation and modernization to ensure operational continuity, efficiency, and safety. Discussions included establishing an effective management mechanism for the North Jalo project, intended as a model for future projects like NC-98 and Dahra-Jufra NC7, with clear timelines and execution frameworks. Capacity building was also a key topic, focusing on expanding training for Libyan technicians and engineers at the French Institute of Petroleum IFP and activating secondment programs at TotalEnergies branches globally to foster knowledge transfer and national talent development. Suleiman reaffirmed TotalEnergies as a vital strategic partner, with both parties committed to overcoming obstacles to project implementation and achieving shared goals to boost Libya's oil production and develop its oil sector.
Brega Oil Marketing Company has confirmed its readiness to supply fuel to the new Tripoli South Power Plant, as requested by the General Electricity Company of Libya GECOL. This announcement is significant given the severe power cuts and organized load shedding in Libya since June, which led to a regional blackout on July 18, affecting water wells and industries. The power outages, attributed partly to a 1,350-megawatt loss in network production capacity and gas supply shortages, have caused public protests and calls for accountability. The Tripoli South plant, with a 1,320-megawatt capacity, is being built by Çalik Enerji and Siemens. Brega reported supplying 21,550 cubic meters of liquid fuel in July and has an agreement for an additional 14,450 cubic meters for operational testing. The company also highlighted stable natural gas supplies of 135 million cubic feet per day for the plant's units. This development follows GECOL's July 21 announcement of connecting the Zueitina Power Plant's sixth gas unit, adding 250 MW to the grid. The Tripoli government has prioritized domestic consumers over industrial ones, impacting sectors like cement production. Egyptian media reports indicate that electricity exports to eastern Libya have resumed, starting with 70 megawatts. These power shortages persist despite substantial government budgets allocated to the electricity sector.