October 19, 2026
The electricity sector in Lebanon is entering a new turning point following the unveiling of a comprehensive national plan to restructure and revitalize the sector, which includes establishing two power generation plants, signing a long-term agreement to supply liquefied natural gas, and developing projects in renewable energy, within a three-year investment program subject to obtaining final official approvals.
According to a document seen by Reuters, the plan is titled “National Integrated Energy Investment Program,” and was prepared in joint cooperation between the Lebanese and Qatari governments, and is subject to amendment pending the required approvals.
The plan includes building two gas-powered combined cycle power plants. The first is in Deir Ammar and the other is in Al-Zahrani, with a production capacity of 825 megawatts each. It also includes concluding an agreement to supply liquefied natural gas between Qatar Energy Company and the Lebanese government for a period of 20 years, based on a floating unit for gas storage and reconversion with a capacity of 3.5 million cubic meters per day, in addition to using the Arab Gas Pipeline through Syria with a capacity of 4.5 million cubic meters per day.
The initiative is not limited to traditional production, but is also based on diversifying energy sources by producing 800 megawatts of solar energy and 440 megawatts of wind energy, implementing projects to store energy with batteries, as well as linking the Lebanese electricity network to regional networks, and importing 300 megawatts of electricity from Syria through two separate paths.
The initiative, which is based on the growing Qatari presence in Syria – where the Qatari Power International Holding Group has won contracts to produce 5,000 megawatts of electricity and projects in the oil and gas sector – aims to attract private investments and financing for projects without burdening the Lebanese public treasury with any prior capital spending, at a time when payment mechanisms and guarantees are still subject to the negotiating table.
These developments are of great importance in light of the inability of the Electricité du Liban to provide stable nutrition around the clock, and citizens’ dependence on expensive private generators, as a result of decades of crises and financial waste that have burdened public finances.
It is noteworthy that the Qatari Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, made a visit to Lebanon last week, during which he expressed his country’s readiness to support the Lebanese energy sector without revealing the details of the initiative at the time. According to informed sources, the plan is likely to be completed within three years if the pace of approvals is accelerated, thus constituting one of the largest attempts to revive the electricity sector in Lebanon by integrating gas, renewable energy, storage, and regional connectivity into an integrated strategic project.
