Latest news with #JosephSaddi
Roya News
12-08-2025
- Business
- Roya News
Lebanon's 24-hour power blackout sparks sabotage investigation
Lebanese Minister of Energy and Water, Joseph Saddi, has called for an urgent investigation to ensure that there was no "deliberate sabotage" following a total power outage that hit the entire country around midnight Saturday to Sunday, worsening the suffering of citizens facing an intense heatwave. - Grid failure - The Electricité du Liban (EDL) announced in a statement that the cause of the nationwide blackout was "an emergency failure in one of the high-voltage transformers at the main Zouk power plant." The statement explained that a drop in insulation of one component due to high humidity and heat led to the initial failure, which in turn caused a "thermal stress" on the steam turbine at the Deir Ammar plant, preventing its restart. The EDL confirmed that its technical teams are working to repair the fault and gradually reconnect production units, but reconnecting the main unit at Deir Ammar (150 megawatts) will require about 24 hours. The repercussions of the power outage extended to the water sector, as the Beirut and Mount Lebanon Water Establishment announced that some of its main pumps had stopped working, leading to reduced water supply hours in the capital and coastal Metn areas. - Suspicions of sabotage - Minister Saddi said in a statement on Monday that he requested the Director-General of Electricité du Liban to open an investigation to confirm that there was no sabotage, "especially given information indicating suspicions about the nature of some power outages." Saddi criticized the deteriorating condition of the sector, stressing that "mitigating the impact of such failures would be easier if modern plants had been built to meet demand over the past fifteen years." He reiterated his goal of establishing sustainable solutions for the sector, starting with the construction of modern gas-fired power plants. - Financial moves to address the crisis - In a related development that could contribute to long-term solutions, Finance Minister Yassine Jaber met with Saddi on Monday, where they signed a decree to enact the World Bank loan law allocated to the electricity sector, in preparation for its approval by the Council of Ministers. Separately, after meeting with the Acting Director-General of the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED), Waleed Shamlan, Minister Jaber announced the Fund's intention to assist in repairing projects damaged by the war, including the Litani River project and sewage systems in Marjeyoun, as well as the possibility of granting funding for feasibility studies to build new silos to enhance Lebanon's food security.
L'Orient-Le Jour
11-08-2025
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Energy Ministry faces backlash over talk of electricity rationing amid heat wave
BEIRUT — Lebanon is facing potential electricity rationing as a heat wave drives up consumption, triggering an online campaign against the Ministry of Energy and Water and its current leadership under the Lebanese Forces (LF). The Byblos Electrical Contracting Company, which operates under the Jbeil Electricity Concession, issued a statement Monday announcing "emergency measures due to the heat and rising demand." "Generator muffler doors will be opened from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to maintain cooling, and technicians may shut down generators for up to 90 minutes if temperatures exceed operational limits," the statement explains. According to the company, four generators have already broken down as a result of overheating, with efforts to replace them underway. Électricité du Liban (EDL) has not officially announced any rationing yet; however, the state electricity provider usually gives advance notice before implementing rationing. The ministry is headed by LF's Minister Joseph Saddi, who was unresponsive to L'Orient Today's request for comment. Amid concerns that Lebanon's electricity supply will one again be reduced, LF is facing backlash online and accusations of failing to deliver on past promises of 24/7 electricity. The criticism intensified after a video resurfaced of party spokesperson Charles Jabbour telling MTV that if the LF were handed the Energy Ministry, 'the Lebanese will be provided with 24 hours per day electricity,' a promise he said was made by LF leader Samir Geagea. 'When Dr. Geagea promises, he serves,' Jabbour added. The video has been widely circulated on X since Sunday night. During an interview last week, when asked what his party's promises were to the people of Lebanon with regard to electricity supply, LF MP Pierre Abou Assi responded simply: 'We don't promise them anything.' His answer roused further condemnation. FPM official, supporters participate in campaign Prominent in the online campaign against LF were Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) officials and supporters. 'Samir Geagea failed in just 6 months at the Ministry of Energy," Wadih Akl, a member of the FPM's political bureau, wrote on X. "Total blackout across all of Lebanon, complete darkness, increase in gasoline and diesel prices for citizens, scandals involving fake or tainted fuel ... The result: not zero, below zero. This is militia rule.' Last week, Cabinet took a decision to remove Jean Gebran, head of the Beirut and Mount Lebanon Water Establishment, whose term had ended in 2021. However, informed sources told al-Markazia the dismissal was linked to 'his use of the institution to further his electoral ambitions, having announced plans to run as the Free Patriotic Movement's candidate in Jbeil next year.' The same sources said the decision was 'not political retaliation but a reform step,' pointing to Gebran's 'blatant use of services and hiring in Jbeil and Kesrouan as a form of political clientelism.' LF supporters respond to FPM Supporters of LF took to X to defend their party's position. Gilda Ayouby, whose X shows her support to LF wrote: "To have electricity available 24/7, there are only two solutions. The first is to secure external funding to build power plants and purchase fuel. The second is for Gebran Bassil to return 10 percent of what he stole from the Ministry of Energy. There is no third option." Laure Challita wrote: "You had the Energy Ministry with you for seventeen years — what have you done besides stealing?" 'Malfunctions in supply network' MTV reported that Saddi met with EDL Director General Kamal Hayek on Monday morning to follow up on the supply network's malfunctions. Saddi reportedly requested an investigation into whether sabotage could be behind some of the outages, after receiving 'information suggesting suspicions about the nature of some of the recent power outage incidents.' A source at EDL told L'Orient Today on Monday that the power outage in the Zouk network that occurred Sunday is being repaired and electricity is expected to be restored around midnight. The cause of the outage, according to EDL, was a drop in the insulation on a connector bridge of a high-voltage transformer. The malfunction occurred at the Zouk thermal power plant's main substation, "due to humidity and intense heat."
Iraqi News
06-05-2025
- Business
- Iraqi News
Iraq, Lebanon discuss cooperation in energy sector
Baghdad ( – The Iraqi Minister of Electricity, Ziyad Ali Fadel, and the Lebanese Minister of Energy, Joseph Saddi, discussed on Monday strategies to enhance cooperation between the two countries in the energy sector. During their meeting in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, the two parties discussed opportunities for collaboration and knowledge sharing in areas of shared interest, according to a statement issued by the Iraqi Electricity Ministry. Saddi, accompanied by the Lebanese Minister of Finance, Yassine Jaber, expressed gratitude to the Iraqi government for its support of Lebanon, the humanitarian assistance it gave during the recent Israeli aggression, and the crude oil shipments, which are crucial to the Lebanese energy sector. To accomplish shared goals and get over the obstacles the region's energy industry faces, the two parties underlined the significance of ongoing collaboration and consultation. In late March, the Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, approved the Oil Ministry's proposed exemption to provide Lebanon with fuel for six months. Officials in the Iraqi oil sector revealed last November that Iraq has agreed to renew an agreement to supply Lebanon with heavy fuel oil. The fuel agreement between Iraq and Lebanon was set to expire at the end of October, according to Reuters. In October, Lebanon announced that it is working to extend and increase the quantity of a heavy fuel agreement with Iraq. To prevent blackouts, Lebanon inked an agreement with Iraq in July 2021 to import one million tons of heavy fuel oil to enable the country to generate energy. In September 2021, the first shipment of 31,000 tons of Iraqi heavy fuel oil reached Lebanon. In exchange for goods and services that Iraq would obtain from Lebanon, the two countries agree that Iraq will supply fuel oil to Lebanon, which is going through the greatest economic crisis in its history.
