Lebanon’s state power company warned on Thursday that the country risked a total blackout within a week, as its fuel reserves continue to dwindle.
The state-run Electricité du Liban said it can generate less than 500 megawatts from fuel oil it secured through an agreement with Iraq, however, reserves of both Grade A and Grade B oil reached a critical point.
Some plants across the country have stopped production as they had already run out of oil, the company said in a statement.
“The network already experienced total blackouts across the country seven times and if this continues there is a high risk of reaching total and complete blackout by end September,” the statement said.
Lebanon had been plagued by fuel shortages in recent months, with many people relying on private generators for electricity.
In February, a deal was struck with Iraq to provide Lebanon with a million tons of heavy fuel a year in exchange for goods and services.
However, heavy fuel is not suitable for use in Lebanon, meaning it will have to be exchanged for a suitable grade.
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