A news agency reported that the Lebanese Minister of Energy Walid Fayyad signed contracts with 11 companies in the private sector to build solar power stations with a 15-megawatt capacity per station.
Fayyad stated that solar energy produced by the 11 power stations would be sold for different prices. The Bekaa region power plants will charge 5.7 U.S. cents per kilowatt hour, while power plants throughout the rest of the nation will charge 6.27 U.S. cents per kilowatt hour.
Fayyad claimed that the prices were cheaper than those charged by Elecricite Du Liban (the state-run power company), which charges 17 U.S. dollars per kilowatt hour.
The lack of electricity is a persistent problem in Lebanon. Households are subjected to daily power outages lasting around 20 hours per day.
The fuel shortage is exacerbated due to the lack of U.S. dollars, which has limited the capacity of the country to import fuels for the operation and maintenance of power plants.
In addition, the service prices for private generators have increased dramatically since fuel subsidies were eliminated amid the financial crisis in the country.
