The solution for the Lebanese energy crisis: renewable energies

Energy Policy Analysis by Zeina Dagher, Staff Writer

October 21st, 2020

Lately, the electricity sector has been a central topic when discussing the Lebanese crisis. This is very understandable, as now more than ever, the Lebanese are struggling with power cuts, and living with as low as two hours of State-provided electricity per day. But the electricity (and energy, in general) problem has been part of Lebanese’s daily life for decades, as well as all the empty promises of reform by those who handled this sector. Therefore, today, many of the proposed reform plans have included the rehabilitation of the electricity sector as a key factor in saving the country. However, what rehabilitation are we talking about? Knowing that we’re living in times where we’re undoubtedly experiencing the disasters of climate change, 

and knowing that Lebanon has very valuable untapped natural resources, it should be evident that investing in climate-friendly and sustainable alternatives, instead of the ever-so problematic fossil fuel industry, is what’s best for 2020 Lebanon. The following will shed the light on these alternatives, in the hopes of inspiring a greater feeling of urgency in acting for a greener Lebanon. 

It is no secret that Lebanon is an overall polluted country. According to the Ministry of Environment, “in 2013, Lebanon emitted 26,285 Gg CO2eq. with the most significant GHG (greenhouse gas) being carbon dioxide, primarily produced from the burning of fossil fuels. The main contributor to GHG emissions is still the energy sector (including transport) with 79% of GHG emissions, followed by industrial processes (10%) and waste sector (7%). […]The trend of increase in total GHG emissions closely follows the trend of emissions from the energy sector, which constituted 53% to 59% of total emissions [from 1994 to 2013]”. Also, according to Our World in Data, as of 2018, Lebanon emits 3.5 tons of CO2per capita for the burning of fossil fuels. This is a fairly high number, considering the country’s really small size and under-developed industry sector. In fact, Numbeo, the world’s largest database of user contributed data about cities and countries worldwide, ranks Lebanon the 8th most polluted country in the world. 

Thus, the energy sector in Lebanon is unquestionably the main reason behind its polluted air. The infamous Zouk electricity factory is very emblematic of this problem, as two grey plumes of smoke are always rising above this little residential coastal town. Adding to that the waste problem that’s obviously worsened since 2013 (more and more incinerators being installed in populated areas, trash piling up on the streets…), pollution has most definitely taken a toll on the Lebanese people’s health.

Dr. Najat Saliba, professor of chemistry and director of the Nature Conservation Center at the American University of Beirut, told the National News Agency that: "the results of the study made by the research unit on the air quality (...) are disastrous. The study confirmed that Lebanese citizens' average age, relatively to what they breathe of oxygen in the air, is shorter by 25%." Lung cancer and pulmonary diseases among the youth have been continuously increasing over time. Yet, the problems don’t just come to a halt here. I

The Lebanese state quite literally pays huge amounts of money to contaminate its air with GHG, which is one of the key factors in the current economic crisis. The inefficiencies of Electricité du Liban have drained the budget and require constant transfers from the State to cover its deficit, transfers that annually cost around 2 billion dollars, as EDL would produce electricity at $0.17 and sell at $0.9, which would result in loss.
The country was ranked 54th out of 136 countries in imports of fossil fuel. In numbers, Lebanon imports more than 90% of its energy needs (gas, diesel oil…), which equals to  9.61 Million Metric Tons in 2019. The numbers are shocking for such a small country.

 Not to mention the acceleration of climate change: By 2040 rising sea levels will damage the highly populated Lebanese coastline. The reparations will require more than 140 million dollars. 
Not only that, but the energy sector is prone to constant political conflicts and battles of interest between the ruling Lebanese parties, who further deplete it from any functionality. 

Exposing all of the problems with the electricity sector in Lebanon would require a whole study by itself. But the few previously stated points are enough to prove that change is urgently needed.

Lebanon is one of the adhering countries to the United Nations, and has agreed on adopting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, that contains 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s). SDG 7 tackles affordable and clean energy, which Lebanon has also agreed to.  Some initiatives have already been made by the State to put Lebanon on the sustainable development track and help achieve the SDG 7, as well as green financing mechanisms (NEERA for example) to implement the action plan.

A paper was even made possible by the Ministry of Environment and the UNDP in 2015, setting the goal of having 12% of the energy supply in 2020 from renewable energies (5.8% from hydropower, 3.6% from solar Photovoltaic (PV) and 2.6% from wind power).  Nevertheless, all of these attempts clearly are not been enough to solve the energy crisis since we still suffer from very long power cuts. 

There should be a bigger focus on developing sustainable energy sources, because with Lebanon’s abundance of water, wind, and sun, tapping into these resources would result in considerable environmental and economic benefits, as well as political independence from the unstable global oil market.

Here are a few clean and renewable energy resources can then be used by Lebanon instead of fossil fuels:

Hydropower: Or power generated from the water currents, is an already used resource in Lebanon, and contributed to around 4.5% of the energy mix as of 2018, which is a pretty acceptable percentage. Dr. Kinab -renewable energy expert and an engineering professor at the Lebanese University- highlights the inconsistency of hydraulic energy production because of the “intermittent rainfalls and poor maintenance.”

Wind energy: Until today it is an untapped resource. The Wind Atlas stated in 2010 that Lebanon has the potential to produce approximately 5,400 MW of wind energy, which could provide for more than a million houses per year. Yet wind cannot be adopted as a primary energy source because it is very intermittent.

Solar power: Solar energy represented around 0.26% of the country’s energy mix as of 2017, although Lebanon benefits from no less than 3000 hours of sunshine per year. This has prompted many national and international groups to encourage the en-masse installation of solar panels, which would also free the Lebanese from the “mafias” of private generators. In fact, quite a few villages have benefited from these initiatives. In 2018, the southern village of Qabrikha was chosen as an experiment in public solar power, as part of the UN’s project CEDRO, with an investment of roughly $400,000 by the EU. A generous number of solar panels were installed, which thrilled the mayor and the inhabitants of the village. But solar panels remain costly, which means that more help like the UN and EU’s would be initially needed to install panels on a wider and noticeable scale.

Many would argue that the cost of electricity production using renewable energies is higher than the usual fossil fuel-burning. However, studies have been made and the numbers show quite the opposite: to EDL’s $0.17 per KWH, hydropower requires 0.09$, wind power $0.07, and solar power $0.06. Even with the initial cost to install equipment (solar panels, wind turbines…), renewable energies in Lebanon are much cheaper than fossil fuels in the long run, and can be sold with a profit margin and still be considered cheap. This drastic change will significantly reduce Lebanon’s GHG emissions and allow the Lebanese to live in healthier and more productive conditions.

In conclusion, Lebanon could perfectly be self-sustainable in the energy field without needing to import fossil fuels, fall in debt, and allow the private generators to become a billion-dollar business on the backs of its citizens. Imagine a Lebanon with 24/24 affordable and clean State-provided electricity. This is a topic worthy of more attention and popular pressure, and unfortunately no voices have been strong enough yet to bring light to it.