This is Beirut

Lebanon Moves Toward Clean Energy with New Solar Farms

This is Beirut, 23/09 18:55 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

EDL Middle East lebanon CMA CGM Joe Saddi Beqaa North Lebanon Mount Lebanon

Lebanon took a significant step toward its energy transition on Tuesday, as Minister of Energy Joe Saddi signed power purchase agreements with Joe Dakak, managing director of CMA CGM in Lebanon and the Middle East. The contracts authorize Merit Invest, a subsidiary of the French shipping giant, to develop three solar farms with a total capacity of ...

Lebanese Businesses Reject Proposed 3% Tax

This is Beirut, 22/09 11:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

EDL lebanon Budget 2026

Lebanese business organizations voiced strong opposition on Monday to a proposed 3% tax outlined in Article 31 of the 2026 draft budget, describing it as illogical, inflationary, and punitive for compliant companies in a country where the informal economy thrives. Officially framed as an advance on income tax, the measure, business leaders warn, ...

Hawk III: A Ship, Fuel, and the Enduring Shadows of Lebanon’s Power Crisis

Christiane Tager, 16/09 12:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

EDL ship fuel

In Lebanon, even a single fuel ship can spiral into a political-judicial drama. Between Friday night and Saturday morning, the Lebanese navy intercepted Hawk III, carrying fuel destined for Électricité du Liban (EDL), as it attempted to evade territorial waters. Behind this incident lies a story of contradictions, suspicion, and opacity, ...

EDL vs. Private Generators: Lebanon’s Daily Electricity Battle

Liliane Mokbel, 03/09 15:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

EDL Central Bank of Lebanon Banks Lebanon economy

Electricité du Liban (EDL) collection agents occasionally remember to bill subscribers. Neighborhood generator operators, on the other hand, never forget the last day of the month. They collect payments even before reading meters, already knowing exactly how much they will extract. The idea of EDL self-financing its fuel purchases remains ...

Friday Cabinet Meeting to Tackle Security, Energy and Military Issues

This is Beirut, 03/09 12:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanese Army Banks EDL Kuwait World Bank lebanon Cabinet

The cabinet’s upcoming meeting on Friday will discuss several issues, in addition to reviewing the Lebanese army’s plan to secure the state’s monopoly on weapons. According to the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, an addendum was circulated on Wednesday for the September 5 session, adding “pressing issues” to the agenda ...

A Few Extra Hours of Power: Kuwait Helps Bring Back Light to Lebanon

Christiane Tager, 25/08 18:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Kuwait Beirut Port EDL Gulf Hezbollah

Even a small relief can feel like a breath of fresh air in the daily lives of Lebanese families. But this shipment is more than just a tank of fuel: it represents a political gesture, much-needed financial support and a symbol of warming diplomatic ties with the Gulf monarchies. In a country where electricity has become a luxury and every hour of ...

Kuwaiti Oil Shipment Arrives in Lebanon

This is Beirut, 23/08 18:20 - Reading : less than a minute

EDL Kuwait Lebanon

Lebanon received its first oil tanker from Kuwait on Saturday, as part of an agreement to supply 132,000 metric tons of gas oil for Electricité du Liban (EDL) power plants. Half of the shipment, 66,000 tons, is being provided as a donation, effectively reducing the overall cost to half its market value. Energy Minister Joe Saddi confirmed that ...

State Employee Arrested for Power Theft

This is Beirut, 23/08 13:30 - Reading : less than a minute

EDL electricity steal

The General Directorate of State Security announced that the Mount Lebanon Regional Directorate, Keserwan Office, arrested on August 20, 2025, a customs employee identified as (D. B.) in the town of Ghbaleh, on charges of stealing electricity from the Electricité du Liban (EDL) network for about five years. According to the statement, the ...

Private Generators in Lebanon: The Toll of a Profitable, Highly Polluting Industry

Sana Richa Choucair, 14/08 20:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

EDL Middle East

On Wednesday, the Lebanese government announced a crackdown on one of the most visible symbols of the country’s failed public electricity sector: private generators. During a ministerial meeting chaired by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, operators were given a maximum of 45 days to comply with legal and environmental standards. After that ...

EDL: Years of Neglect Behind Lebanon’s Power Cuts

This is Beirut, 14/08 12:40 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Beirut Port EDL lebanon Beirut

In a statement released Thursday, Electricité du Liban (EDL) said Lebanon’s electricity network continues to struggle after years of neglect and chronic underinvestment, with key infrastructure destroyed in the 2020 Beirut Port explosion still unreplaced. EDL identified three main causes for the recurring power cuts: production capacity at ...

Power Outage Hits BIA, Civil Aviation Clarifies

This is Beirut, 13/08 10:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Beirut International Airport EDL lebanon Iraq Power Outage

Beirut International Airport (BIA) suffered a power outage this week that disrupted air-conditioning during one of the busiest periods of the year, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said Wednesday. According to the statement, the incident occurred amid a severe heatwave and record passenger traffic, with daily departures reaching ...

EDL: Gradual Return of Electricity Following Major Outage

This is Beirut, 12/08 16:30 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

EDL Lebanon electricity blackout

The major outage that caused a nationwide blackout in Lebanon has been repaired. Lebanon’s electricity company, EDL, confirmed that the malfunction — caused by a faulty high-voltage transformer at the Zouk thermal power plant due to humidity and extreme heat — has been resolved. The gas and steam units at the Deir Ammar power plant have ...

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