As we placed the last solar PV panel on the structure of Libya’s very first 1 MW solar project, we looked around and asked ourselves: Why stop here? The land is vast, solar irradiation is unparalleled, and we as Libyans are thirsty for energy. Our homes are thirsty for energy, our agricultural projects are thirsty for energy, and our oil and gas sector is thirsty for energy.
This summer’s electricity shortages and blackouts have once again highlighted the strains on Libya’s power system and reminded us of a simple truth: reliable electricity underpins economic growth, public services, and national stability.
Energy security at the centre of our national agenda
We have heard it for years: Libya possesses one of the world’s greatest untapped advantages—one of the highest solar irradiation levels on the planet. For decades, we have relied almost entirely on oil and gas to generate electricity. While hydrocarbons remain central to our economy, using valuable fuel for domestic power comes at a growing opportunity cost. Just as we prioritise food and water security, we must place energy security at the centre of our national agenda, without it our future will dim.
Oil and gas for export, renewables to generate electricity
Every cubic meter of gas or barrel of oil burned to generate electricity is energy that could otherwise be exported to generate much-needed foreign currency. Every megawatt generated from solar power reduces domestic fuel consumption, allowing more hydrocarbons to be exported, increasing national revenue, and enhancing energy security at home. A 100 MW solar PV plant would save us approximately 75 million litres of diesel annually, would give us 295,000 MWh of energy per year, employing over 2,000 workers.
A balanced energy mix makes the entire system stronger and more resilient
Why has it taken us so long? Simply because we have viewed renewable energy as competing with Libya’s oil and gas sector rather than complementing and strengthening it. A balanced energy mix makes the entire system stronger and more resilient, and the benefits go even further.
Renewable energy can attract foreign direct investment
Renewable energy can attract foreign direct investment, create skilled jobs for Libyan engineers, technicians, and construction workers, stimulate local industries, and encourage greater private sector participation. Building on the groundwork laid and tremendous efforts of the Renewable Energy Authority of Libya (REOAL) and the National Oil Corporation (NOC), the government should use this as a catalyst for real scale.
Transparent regulations
With transparent regulations, bankable power purchase agreements, and well-structured public-private partnerships, Libya can give investors what capital always follows, certainty. Without legal clarity, international finance will not arrive, with it, Libya could quickly become one of the region’s most attractive renewable energy markets. This would strengthen national stability, diversify the economy, maximize the value of our oil and gas resources, and improve the quality of life for millions of Libyans. Bankability is simply the gateway.
Electricity subsidies
One mistake that we must admit is that the economics of how we view electricity generation is upside down, there is a vast difference between the “price” of electricity and the “cost” of electricity, the cost far exceeds the price. Subsidized fuel makes the true price invisible but not unreal.
Libya needs oil and gas alongside renewables
Our choice is not oil and gas or renewables. Libya needs oil and gas alongside renewables. The question is no longer whether Libya should accelerate renewable energy development. The question is whether we can afford to delay our potential future any longer. Libya has what it takes. What is needed is the collective will and to understand that the question is no longer can we do it but rather: when we will do it?
Our 1 MW solar power project in Kufra, as with many other projects related to agriculture within Libya, once the plant was switched on, it wasn’t only electricity we were delivering. It was a sense of relief and pride. Farmers who used to ration diesel could suddenly irrigate more predictably, sleep without waiting for the generator to cough back to life. Communities felt safe, hospitals could function without further panic. This only shows us that “when there is a need there is a way”.
Fahd Ben Halim is the Managing Director of Infinity Libya a leading renewables energy company.
Infinity Libya, a subsidiary of Infinity Group, delivered Libya’s first-ever 1 MW solar power plant in Kufra on 25 May 2025. The project marked a major milestone in Libya’s transition toward renewable energy.
Infinity says that it has developed over 180 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) projects in Egypt alone and has presence within Africa and the levant with projects ranging from solar PV, wind, and waste to energy.
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