The newly appointed Chairman of the General Electricity Company of Libya (GECOL), Bashir Al-Marash, assured that Libya’s current electricity crisis will come to an end within the next two weeks.
Speaking during a meeting with the Municipality of Sug Il Juma, in a video clip posted on the municipality’s official page, Marash assured that ‘‘The situation is good. We have new units entering the national grid. There is a 90 percent chance that the situation will improve for the whole of Libya.
From 10 to 15 days, we should end this whole story (of power cuts) – for the whole of Libya. I don’t want someone asking me: Why have I got longer power cuts (than other areas)?’’
Fair load-shedding can only be done by a computer
Asked about implementing fair load-shedding, Al-Marash said fair load-shedding was impossible to implement manually. He stressed that that would need a computerised system to enforce.
South Tripoli power station is ‘‘nearing’’ commissioning
In a similar vein, during his meeting with the Municipality of Tripoli Centre on Monday, the municipality reported that officials from GECOL confirmed that the South Tripoli power station is ''nearing'' commissioning and is expected to contribute to supporting the grid and improving the stability of the electricity supply, which strengthens hopes for a gradual improvement in the coming period.
GECOL did not, however, give a precise date of when the new power station will come online.
Libya's summer 2026 electricity crisis
It will be recalled that Libya has been going through an acute electricity crisis since mid-June with extensive and frequent power cuts and blackouts.
These have led to violent demonstrations, with road blockades in the form of setting fires to rubbish and tyres, and the barricading of state buildings with rubble.
The power cuts have also led to some vigilante youth attacking GECOL offices and substations. This included taking action to manually end load-shedding at their local substations which have threatened to cause even more chaos in the national grid.
Knock-on effects of the power cuts
Power cuts have had knock-on effects, including telecommunications interruptions, a spike in the price and demand for diesel for generators, bread shortages and price hikes, a loss of production by industries, closures of clinics etc.
All these have at times threatened to bring down the Tripoli based Aldabaiba government. Aldabaiba’s response has been to install Al-Marash as the new GECOL chairman.
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