The Egyptian gas that Lebanon plans to use to generate electricity will be enough to cover about a third of the country’s electricity needs, an expert has revealed.
The Egyptian gas can help restore operations at Lebanon’s two largest power plants – Zahrani and Deir Ammar – Dr. Imad Akkoush, an economist and a financial expert, has told Sputnik.
Lebanon’s plan is to have the Deir Ammar power plant supplied with gas directly from Egypt via a pipeline, whereas the second plant will receive gas through ships, due to the absence of gas pipes between the two sites, Akkoush said.
Together, the two power plants generate around 860 megawatts of power — around a third of Lebanon’s total demand.
With that, state-provided electricity could be boosted to around 8 hours per day, which would help alleviate the ongoing electricity crisis and combat the black market run by private generators.
Apart from that, the gas can help Lebanon economically, especially with regards to the financial market and the local exchange rate of the U.S. dollar, Akkoush said.
The gas is expected to take between 6 months and a year to reach Lebanon, according to the expert, who noted that the quantities that will be imported have not been determined yet.
A few days ago, a high-ranking Lebanese official delegation visited Syria to discuss its readiness to help transport the gas to Lebanon through its territory, which the Syrian authorities eventually agreed to.
