By Jamal Adel.
Tripoli, 7 May 2014:
Thieves in Sirte have set back the startup date of the new power station near the . . .[restrict]town by at least a month.
General Electricity Company of Libya (GECOL) spokesman Lotfi Ghoma told the Libya Herald that the base of one of the pylons had been cut by thieves to bring it down so as to steal the glass connectors carrying the already-connected overhead cables. This had “led to the collapse of two electricity pylons and caused severe damage to the upper sections of four others”.
The fact that some of the thieves have been apprehended is of little comfort to GECOL. According to Ghoma, the damage means extensive repairs are necessary and will push back the date the power plant is been expected to connect to the national grid – 15 May – by at least a month.
The completion of the power station is expected to alleviate some of the current pressure on the national grid.
Thieves were again at work on Monday night, stealing 800 hundred metres of power cable at Sirte airport.
“The cable supplies the airport’s lighting system,” Ghoma said. [/restrict]
