The General Electricity Company of Libya (GECOL) and the US giant energy company General Electric (GE) have started major overhaul works of the first gas unit at Al-Khums power station, east of Tripoli.
GECOL said in a press briefing that the “maintenance work will contribute to supporting the electric network and increasing its capacity. These efforts aim to follow up and maintain the rest of the generation units that were stopped for technical reasons.”
Last year, a delegation from GE met with the Chairman of GECOL to discuss joint cooperation in order to improve the electricity sector in Libya. Especially in the field of station maintenance.
“GE also expressed its full readiness to support the GECOL, stand with it, and overcome all difficulties it faced,” the statement added.
The meeting was held in Tripoli, and was attended by a member of the Board of Directors of GECOL, Abdul Hakim Al-Ferjani, the Assistant General Manager for Operation Affairs, Salah Al-Khafifi and the General Manager for Production, Kamal Abdullah Daw.
Since 2011, Libya has been suffering from a deficit in energy production. GECOL adopts a program of load-shedding hours in various cities and regions. The power cuts at peak times, especially in summer, exceeds 12 hours a day.
In July, Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) announced the start of gas production from the Al-Faregh field, the country’s largest gas field, to the Sarir power station in the southeast.
According to the statement, the step will contribute to reducing the electric cuts, as the Sarir electrical station enters the network. The Al-Faregh field of the Waha Oil Company is located 60 km to the southwest of the Gallo field.
GECOL has welcomed the decision, saying that the “positive step” would improve the electricity network in all parts of Libya.
Libya has been in chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime leader Moammar Gadaffi in 2011. The county has for years been split between rival administrations, each backed by rogue militias and foreign governments.
The current stalemate grew out of the failure to hold elections in December, and the refusal of Prime Minister Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba, who led the transitional government, to step down. In response, the country’s eastern-based Parliament appointed a rival Prime Minister, Fathi Bashagha, who has for months sought to install his government in Tripoli.