● Dai primi del 2009 prevista la fornitura di gas egiziano, fino al 2013, per la centrale elettrica libanese di Deir Amman, con un risparmio energetico del 30% rispetto al petrolio, usato finora.
o Esclusa (prezzi troppo alti) la fornitura diretta di elettricità egiziana prevista in 150-450 MW, e che doveva giungere tramite Siria e Giordania.
– Per il 2009 previsto per il Libano un deficit energetico di circa $2MD, con petrolio a $100/b;
– Produzione attuale di elettricità in Libano, 1600 MW, la richiesta è di 2300 MW; necessari investimenti per $600 mn. in nuove centrali elettriche, da parte di gruppi privati, che verrebbero pagati tramite BOT.
Nel 2002 i furti di elettricità erano del 40%, scesi al 5% nel 2006, risaliti ora al 22%.
– "Lebanon is expected to receive the first natural gas shipment from Egypt at the beginning of 2009 to operate the Deir Ammar [Beddawi] plant in the north," Energy and Water Minister Alan Tabourian announced on Friday. But Tabourian, who held talks with Egyptian officials in Cairo, ruled out the possibility of getting electricity from Egypt due to the high prices Egypt is charging.
"The Egyptian side assured us that Lebanon will receive natural gas at the beginning of 2009. Egypt will continue supplying us gas until 2013," Tabourian told reporters.
Tabourian was part of a team headed by Prime Minister Fouad Siniora that visited Egypt for two days. Lebanon signed several agreements in Cairo, including one on natural gas.
– The Beddawi plant was designed to run on gas but is currently fired by fuel oil. The government hopes to reduce the national energy bill by 30 percent by switching gas-capable plants away from oil.
– Tabourian also said that the prices Egypt was offering for electricity was "simply too high for Lebanon."
"We did not reach any compromise on the prices of electricity with Egypt. I realize that additional electricity will allow Lebanon to reduce the severe power rationing. But for the time being we can’t do anything about it," he said.
– Lebanon was supposed to receive between 150 MW and 450 MW from Egypt through a high voltage line that would cross Syria and Jordan.
Tabourian said he had asked Egyptian officials about the precise cost of electricity Lebanon intends to buy.
"I want to know the exact cost of electricity in Egypt because we don’t want to spend lot of money that would cause further losses to Electricite du Liban (EDL)," he said.
Tabourian also warned that if the price of oil surged again, EDL’s losses – and therefore the government’s – would rise anew.
– The Energy Ministry has projected a deficit close to $2 billion in 2009 based on an oil price of $100 per barrel.
Successive governments have failed to deal with the power sector’s problems despite several studies prepared by international agencies.
– Tabourian also said that the ministry plans to equip some of the existing power plants with new equipment to increase electricity output.
He also reiterated that Lebanon needs to invest in new generating stations in order to meet growing consumption and reduce rationing.
– Energy experts say that Lebanon needs to build new power plants at a cost of $600 million. Siniora wants the private sector to be involved in the construction of the new facilities under build-operate-transfer (BOT) agreements.
– Lebanon produces less than 1,600 MW of electricity, while the actual requirement is at least 2.300 MW.
– Tabourian also stated that electricity theft fell from 40 percent in 2002 to 5.17 percent in 2006 and then rose to 22 percent due to the security and political situations.
The International Monetary Fund and donor countries are pressing the government to find radical solutions for the electricity crisis, warning that any future funds to Lebanon are linked to reforms in the energy sector. – The Daily Star