Prolonged power cuts spark wave of protests across Libya
Al Jazeera Staff
Libyans are protesting prolonged blackouts during a severe heatwave, demanding an end to corruption and urgent grid improvements. The crisis, spanning a decade of political division, has sparked civil disobedience and forced oil field closures, highlighting systemic failures in the energy sector.
Libya is in the grip of a fresh energy crisis as blackouts lasting up to ten hours a day, combined with a heatwave pushing temperatures to 48 degrees Celsius, have triggered widespread protests and civil disobedience in the capital Tripoli and surrounding areas.
Protesters, mostly young men, have blocked main roads, burned tires and shut down government buildings. At the Foreign Ministry in Tripoli, a crowd dumped a truckload of earth in front of the gates to block entry, demanding punishment for corruption and the dissolution of deeply divided political institutions. The civil disobedience movement, started by the Souq Al-Jumaa group and joined by activists in Tajoura and Janzour, aims to pressure the Government of National Unity (GNU) to address the catastrophic decline of basic services.
Tensions escalated on Tuesday when another group of protesters stormed the Mellitah oil and gas complex, forcing the National Oil Corporation (NOC) to halt operations at the El Feel oil field and partially suspend the Wafa field. The disruption choked off gas supplies for electricity generation, shutting down numerous power plants. Although the GNU later regained control of the complex and resumed gas pumping, the fragility of Libya's energy sector remains starkly exposed.
Amid the domestic turmoil, international figures continue to push for political reconciliation. Massad Boulos, a U.S. adviser on African affairs, recently held talks with GNU Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, stressing the urgent need for Libyan unity and security cooperation to achieve lasting stability and prevent further fragmentation.
Libya has been divided since 2014 when civil war erupted between western and eastern factions. The rift endures despite a 2020 ceasefire, with the GNU operating in Tripoli and a rival administration loyal to military commander Khalifa Haftar in the east.
'Fed up with empty promises'
For ordinary Libyans, the crisis has become unbearable. Roa Nasef, a power systems engineer who returned to Libya after seven years abroad, expressed frustration. She told Al Jazeera that Libyans are 'fed up with repeated promises' and reliance on temporary fixes. Stabilizing the grid, she said, requires modernizing transmission networks and adopting a long-term vision that includes renewable energy, not just announcing projects that never materialize.
The problem spans the country. Areej Badr, a resident of Benghazi in the east, described the situation as 'tragic.' She noted that owning a private generator is now the only way to maintain round-the-clock power. Blackouts disrupt water supply, spoil food, and worsen life for the sick and elderly.
Systemic collapse
As public anger mounts, energy experts and former officials point to a systemic collapse that has been building for decades. A former official of the General Electricity Company of Libya (GECOL), speaking on condition of anonymity, told Al Jazeera that a key cause is the failure to complete major strategic projects launched before 2011, including the Gulf steam power plant near Sirte and the West Tripoli steam power plant.
Both were designed with four units each, with a combined expected capacity of 1,400 MW per plant. The West Tripoli project remains unfinished, while only two of Sirte's four 350 MW units are connected to the grid. Delays have left Libya more dependent on aging facilities that require extensive maintenance. The former official said the relative improvement in power supply during 2023 and 2024 was mainly due to gas-fired plants contracted years ago, not a comprehensive overhaul. Those projects added capacity and reduced the deficit, but did not eliminate it or meet an estimated annual demand increase of up to 600 MW.
Energy expert Ahmed al-Meslati said focusing solely on generation capacity has ignored severe infrastructure weaknesses and delayed maintenance, making stable supply impossible. He added that Egypt's resumption of electricity exports in July provided only limited relief, delivering around 70 MW – a small contribution relative to Libya's total demand.
Rabie Khalifa, a spokesman for the electricity ministry of the rival eastern administration, said recent blackouts are not only due to fuel shortages but also a 400 kV transmission line that failed under peak summer demand, triggering a domino effect that caused a widespread grid collapse.
