Libya Suffers Third Blackout in Two Days, Halting GMR Water Pumps
This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.
Libya’s power grid collapsed again Monday, with the Zawiya, Khoms and Ubari power plants going offline and cutting electricity to large parts of western and central Libya. The Great Man-Made River Authority halted all pumping stations under its control, including the Tarhouna pumping station and wellfields. The failure was the third major blackout to hit western Libya in two days, following weeks of protests and road blockades against Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah’s government.
Key Facts
- The Libya Herald reported it was the third major blackout to hit western Libya in two days.
- The Great Man-Made River Authority said electricity cuts forced all pumping stations under its control, including the Tarhouna pumping station and wellfields, to stop operating.
- Protesters stormed the Mellitah oil and gas complex in late July, temporarily disrupting production at the El Feel and Wafa fields and interfering with gas supplies used for electricity generation.
- The National Oil Corporation warned last week that continued attacks could force it to declare force majeure on exports from Zawiya after drone attacks left more than 700 MW of the 1,300-MW Zawiya plant unavailable.
- Libya is producing around 1.4 million barrels per day and wants to raise output to 2 million bpd in the early 2030s.
Grid Collapse
The Zawiya, Khoms and Ubari power plants went offline Monday, leaving large parts of western and central Libya without electricity. The Libya Herald reported it was the third major blackout to hit western Libya in two days. The cause of Monday’s simultaneous outages has not been established. The failure also spread to the water system, and the Great Man-Made River Authority said electricity cuts forced all pumping stations under its control to stop operating. The network includes wellfields and the Tarhouna pumping station and supplies much of Libya’s population with water from Sahara aquifers.
Public Anger
Weeks of outages have triggered demonstrations, road blockades and closures of government institutions, including protests directed at Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah’s Government of National Unity in Tripoli. Protesters stormed the Mellitah oil and gas complex in late July, temporarily disrupting production at the El Feel and Wafa fields and interfering with gas supplies used for electricity generation. The rival camps led by Dbeibah in the west and the Haftar family in the east have maintained an uneasy equilibrium that gives both sides access to state institutions and oil revenues. Libya’s deteriorating energy system is now putting additional pressure on that fragile alliance from the public.
Oil and Gas Disruption
Libya then suffered a series of drone attacks around the Zawiya energy hub this month, including strikes on oil infrastructure and a major attack that left more than 700 MW of the 1,300-MW Zawiya plant unavailable. The National Oil Corporation warned last week that continued attacks could force it to declare force majeure on exports from Zawiya. Libya is producing around 1.4 million barrels per day and wants to raise output to 2 million bpd in the early 2030s. But the same oil revenues that have helped enrich Libya’s rival political camps have yet to filter down into basic, reliable electricity service.
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Libya Suffers Third Blackout in Two Days, Halting GMR Water Pumps
