A widespread power outage has disrupted operations at several critical facilities of Libya’s Great Man-Made River Project, raising concerns over water supplies to cities and agricultural projects across the country.
The Great Man-Made River Project Implementation and Management Authority announced that a complete electricity blackout affected the wellfields of Sarir and Tazerbo, as well as the Ajdabiya Reservoir and the water pumping station serving Benghazi.
The authority also confirmed a separate power interruption at the Hasawna wellfield, resulting in the shutdown of all operating wells in the Sarir, Tazerbo, and Hasawna systems.
According to the authority, the suspension of operations has temporarily halted water production and transportation from some of Libya’s most important groundwater sources. Officials warned that any reduction in water supplies reaching cities and agricultural projects is beyond the control of the project management due to the electricity failure.
The Great Man-Made River Project is the backbone of Libya’s water infrastructure, supplying millions of residents with fresh water and supporting agricultural activities in multiple regions. Any disruption to the project can have immediate effects on water distribution networks and irrigation systems.
The authority stated that technical teams are closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with relevant electricity providers to restore power as quickly as possible. Once electricity service returns to the affected facilities, water flow will immediately resume and gradually return to normal operating levels.
The incident highlights the continued vulnerability of critical infrastructure to power disruptions and underlines the importance of maintaining stable electricity supplies for essential public services. Water sector officials stressed that restoring power remains the fastest and most effective solution to reactivating the affected wells and pumping stations.
Authorities have urged residents to use water responsibly until normal operations are restored, while efforts continue to return the project’s facilities to full capacity.
The Great Man-Made River Project remains one of the largest water transfer systems in the world, delivering groundwater from southern aquifers to population centres in northern Libya. The current outage demonstrates the close link between the country’s electricity network and its ability to maintain uninterrupted water supplies.More Short Titles
