By Libya Herald reporter.
Tripoli, 14 December 2016:
Tripoli was hit with ten hours of power cuts today despite statements from the state electricity company GECOL that the second power unit at the new Khoms power station was starting production and that two units at Tripoli South power station at Swani were back on stream after maintenance wok.
For the past few days there have been power cuts of around four to five hours a day in the capital. Today’s spike is supposedly due to an increase in heating usage because of the onset of winter.
Also for the past two days, the capital has also been hit once more by water shortages, due mainly to a strike at Hasawna water fields near Sebha, but also because of damage and poor maintenance of water pipes in the south.
Since Monday, GECOL has constantly predicted that the Khoms second unit was about come on stream, adding another 265 megawatts (MW) to the national grid. The latest from it now is that there are still tests to be done and that just 40 MW has been brought on stream. The rest of the 265 megawatts production will be brought on gradually.
It is hoped, however, that the unit will be fully functioning by the end of the month.
