By Ashraf Abdul Wahab.
Tripoli, 3 April 2014:
Libya is to fast-track the hiring of eight emergency power-generators to provide more than 600 . . .[restrict]megawatts of electricity.
The multi-million dollar deal, which is believed to involve GEC dual fuel units, was agreed at the second cabinet meeting of premier Abdullah Al-Thinni’s caretaker government yesterday. The decision was taken, it was reported, to make up for electricity shortfalls following recent attacks on power stations.
The electricity ministry was cleared to allow GECOL to go ahead with contracts which it is understood will involve an initial five mobile power plants with a total capacity of 235 megawatts. Three larger units will follow which will add another 367 megawatts.
GECOL is already hiring other mobile power generators from APR Energy, which between them provide 405 megawatts of emergency power. This, the largest single contract of its kind, was extended for a year last June.
The cabinet also signed off on a project from the Ministry of Water Resources to set up a desalination plant in the Zuetina region. It was further agreed that the Ministry of Higher Education be given the go ahead to create a renewable energies centre at Misrata University.
In what was actually the tenth meeting of the cabinet this year, ministers sought to address the vexed question of outstanding government salaries for expatriates. Among other moves here, it was agreed that all money owed to Indian medical teams as well as doctors at Benghazi’s Hawari hospital would be paid.
Within a discussion on the security situation, ministers approved a proposal fro the Ministry of Interior to promote 546 police officers from the rank of lieutenant to colonel. They also backed the relocation of the headquarters of the Petroleum Facilities Guard from Tripoli to Brega. [/restrict]
