Kuwaiti Tanker Brings Lebanon Lifeline as Energy Crisis Deepens
Lebanon received a critical boost to its failing power sector on Saturday as the first Kuwaiti oil tanker entered its territorial waters with desperately needed fuel. The delivery, part of a newly signed agreement, will supply 132,000 metric tons of gas oil to Lebanon’s state-run Electricité du Liban (EDL), half of which comes as a donation from Kuwait.
Energy Minister Joe Saddi announced that the purchase will not add to Lebanon’s ballooning public debt, explaining that EDL will finance its share of the oil through revenues collected from electricity services. “The government is grateful to Kuwait for standing with Lebanon in times of crisis,” Saddi said, praising the Gulf state’s decades-long support.
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Lebanon has struggled for years with a power sector weighed down by corruption, chronic underinvestment, and soaring fuel costs. State power plants often provide only a few hours of electricity per day, forcing households and businesses to rely on expensive private generators. The deal with Kuwait offers a temporary lifeline but does not resolve the country’s deeper structural problems, which include a cash-strapped utility company and ongoing disputes over energy sector reform.
For now, officials hope the Kuwaiti shipment will ease blackouts and provide a measure of stability as Lebanon continues to search for long-term solutions to its energy crisis.
