Lebanon Draft Calls for Two 825-Megawatt Plants, 20-Year QatarEnergy LNG Deal

A proposal discussed by Lebanon and Qatar pairs two 825-megawatt gas plants with a proposed 20-year liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply deal, while public electricity service lasts only a few hours each day.

The October draft describes plans the two governments discussed Oct. 16. It places one combined-cycle plant in Deir Ammar and a second, equally sized facility in Zahrani, Lebanon’s northern and southern locations. A floating unit would store LNG and convert it to gas at a rate of 3.5 million cubic meters per day.

The plan also calls for gas to flow through the Arab Gas Pipeline across Syria at 4.5 million cubic meters per day. That pipeline would carry gas rather than LNG in liquid form. The draft sets out 800 megawatts of solar power and 440 megawatts of wind power, with battery storage also included. Electricity imports from Syria would start at 300 megawatts.

Lebanon’s state utility serves the country for only several hours daily, leaving homes and businesses to rely on private diesel generators. Under the financing model outlined earlier, Qatari entities would fund construction and operate the project before ownership transfers to Lebanon. The treasury would have no upfront investment cost. QatarEnergy and TotalEnergies have separately agreed to develop a solar plant as an initial project.

Both governments still need to approve the wider program. The terms for future payments and guarantees have yet to be settled. Implementation could take three years if approvals come quickly.