Lebanon may receive electricity from Jordan within four months, Jordanian Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Hala Zawati revealed on Thursday.
In an interview with Al-Hurra, Zawati said that Lebanon is expected to benefit from Jordan‘s electricity with 200-250 megawatts at the most.
This is because Lebanon’s infrastructure capacity only allows for the said amount to be received through Syria, and expanding this capacity would take effort, time, and money, she noted.
Nonetheless, added to the Egyptian gas that will be used for direct power generation in Lebanese power plants, the total amount of power that Lebanon will receive from the entire project will be around 700 megawatts, Zawati said.
This appears to meet Lebanon’s expectations, as Lebanese caretaker Energy Minister Raymond Ghajar recently stated that Lebanon was hoping to receive 450 megawatts through the Egyptian gas.
Though the likely period for Lebanon to start receiving electricity is around four months, this will ultimately depend on the Syrian side and the speed with which it repairs the power network in southern Syria, according to the official.
In regard to the costs of the operation, Zawati said that the prices have not been agreed upon yet.
Nevertheless, she estimated that the Egyptian gas will save Lebanon between $100 million and $120 million annually.
It is to note that Lebanon is in talks with the World Bank to secure funding for the project.
Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Egypt will hold their next meeting for the power transmission plan in three to four weeks, according to Zawati.
