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By Jamal Adel.
Kufra, 13 November 2014:
In the aftermath of the heavy clashes in and around Obari and Benghazi, engineers at the . . .[restrict]General Electricity Company of Libya (GECOL) have been working tirelessly to restore power to the hardest hit parts of both places.
“So far, we’ve repaired and reconnected 220 power lines. Now, our efforts are focused on the Obari-Ghat grid,” Obari Power Station Director Abbas Mohammed Ali told the Libya Herald.
The grid between Ghat and Obari was hit during the fighting in Obari, causing severe power shortages in the towns of Ghat, Tahal, Owainat, and Aderi.
“Electricity is available in the Obari main grid, though sub-lines of 11 kilovolts are in need of urgent repairs. We expect that it will be reconnected by Thursday,” Ali said.
Operations at Obari Power Station, which is powered by gas, were stopped in September due to the nation-wide insecurity resulting from the battle between Libya Dawn forces and the Zintani Brigade over Tripoli International Airport in July.
Fighting between Khalifa Hafter’s Operation Dignity forces and Ansar Al-Sharia since May has wreaked havoc on power stations, sub-stations and transformers in the Benghazi area. The Gwarsha district of Benghazi has been particularly hard hit by random missiles, leading to severe power shortages.
“Hadigat Al-Shaab in the Al-Salmani area was one of the stations hit during the fighting in Benghazi, but we’ve already repaired it, replacing damaged parts and reconnecting severed cables,” Manager of Operation Services in Benghazi Awad Igtayish told this newspaper.
Other electricity stations were hit in Benghazi during clashes in Gwarsha, Sidi Faraj and Buatni.
“We urge all parties to allow GECOL engineers to reach the stations so that they can make the necessary repairs,” Igtayish said. [/restrict]
