State of PV in Lebanon

STATE OF PV in LEBANON

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Lebanon is not an oil or coal producer and the energy consumed is totally based on imported oil derivatives. Use of any form of RE is very limited in Lebanon. 25% of Lebanon’s final energy consumption goes for the industrial sector, 30% goes for the residential, public and commercial sectors, 25% goes for the industrial sector and the remaining 45% goes for the transport sector. Electricity is supplied by Electricité du Liban (EDL), an autonomous state owned entity. EDL has the monopoly of production, transportation and distribution of electricity. Lebanon has largely completed the rehabilitation and expansion of power generation facilities. In 2004 the installed capacity amounted to 2310 MW and 98% of the population was connected to the system. Work is in progress on the rehabilitation of the high voltage transmission networks, which are currently planned for completion by the end of year 2005 There are very few concessions for the distribution of electricity, that date to more than 35 years ago and which represent a maximum of 5% of the total production and distribution volume, but no licences at all. Losses, both technical and non-technical, are unusually high.

Currently they represent 34% of energy produced. This includes some 14% in technical losses and about 20% in non-payment of electricity bills and power theft. The principal objective of the distribution plan is to reduce these losses to a normal rate between 10 and 15%. Despite the progress made, electricity rationing still occur from time to time, in the regions outside Beirut. Because of this rationing, private illegal small electricity producers, spread all over the country, are producing and selling electricity without getting connected to the main grid but through independent cables tied on the electricity and telephone beams. A 6 to 8% growth in electricity demand is