DOHA (The Thursday Times) — Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Sunday that Beirut and Doha had made “significant progress” towards an energy agreement, as Lebanon negotiates a 20-year deal for Qatari liquefied natural gas.
Salam, accompanied by Energy and Water Minister Joe Saddi, met Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, in Doha. “We have made significant progress in preparing an agreement between the two governments,” Salam said, thanking Qatar for its support in “difficult circumstances”. He said Lebanese energy officials had arrived in the Qatari capital on Sunday evening to work through the technical details.
Qatar’s Minister of State for Energy Affairs, Saad bin Sherida Al Kaabi, was due to take part in the talks, according to Lebanese reports. No agreement has been signed.
What is on the table
Salam’s office said the proposals include projects to generate more electricity in Lebanon, bringing in energy through Syria, new power plants, and a floating terminal to store and regasify liquefied natural gas received by sea. Renewable energy projects are also part of the talks. Qatar has offered to finance an electricity project, and announced a large solar plant for Lebanon in October.
A struggling grid
A Qatari supply deal would be a boost for Lebanon’s ailing power sector, which struggles to provide more than a few hours of electricity a day, leaving many households dependent on expensive private generators. State provider Electricité du Liban began cutting power this month to public institutions that had not paid their bills, and Beirut’s international airport was among those at risk until it reached a late payment plan.
The talks come as Lebanon, already in a financial crisis, remains caught up in Israel’s conflict with Hezbollah, and as the US-Iran war pushes up fuel prices. Qatar’s own gas output has been partly curtailed by Iranian attacks, and its state revenue fell 42 per cent in the first half of the year, reports said.
