Egypt has resumed supplying electricity to Libya after Libya paid $84 million as part of a settlement of outstanding electricity import debts, according to an Egyptian Electricity Ministry source.
The source told Masrawy newspaper that Egypt has resumed supplying around 70 megawatts of electricity to Libya through the electricity interconnection line linking the two countries. The move comes as Libya seeks to stabilise its national grid following widespread power outages that affected large parts of the country.
The electricity exports were restarted in full coordination with the Libyan authorities. An initial supply of 70 megawatts has already begun flowing through the interconnection, while control centres in both countries are closely monitoring the network to ensure stable operations.
The resumption follows a severe disruption to Libya’s electricity network after several strategic power generation plants unexpectedly went offline, resulting in the loss of around 1,350 megawatts of generating capacity and causing a nationwide collapse in grid frequency that left much of the country without electricity for several hours.
According to the Egyptian source, Libya has now paid $84 million out of total outstanding dues of approximately $140 million. The remaining $54 million will be repaid under an agreed schedule before the end of the year.
The agreement also provides for the settlement of the full debt through a defined repayment timetable, allowing Egyptian electricity exports to resume after they had previously been suspended because of unpaid financial obligations.
Technical and commercial teams from both countries continue to coordinate the remaining procedures needed to restore the interconnection line to full operational capacity.
The source said resolving the debt issue had been the main obstacle preventing electricity exports from restarting. Egypt views electricity exports as part of its broader strategy to maximise surplus generation capacity, strengthen regional energy cooperation and increase foreign currency revenues.
The Egypt-Libya electricity interconnection is regarded as a key element of bilateral energy cooperation and is expected to improve the stability of Libya’s electricity grid while providing economic benefits for both countries.
