Energy Library

Dec. 2020

The Beirut river solar snake is the first grid-connected pilot photovoltaic plant in Lebanon. Spanning 10,000 m2 above the Beirut river bed, the 1 MWp photovoltaic plant supplies green energy to the national network of the Lebanese electric utility Electricité du Liban (EDL) and will ensure the energy needs of around 10,000 households. The project has created an enormous momentum in the solar market in Lebanon, which has witnessed a remarkable increase by an average yearly growth rate of 95% in the cumulative installed photovoltaic capacity from 2010 to 2018. 

INITIAL SITUATION
Lebanon relies essentially on oil imports as its main resource for energy production. The electricity sector in the country has been facing many challenges for a long time, notably gaps between demand and supply, high technical and non-technical losses, and has to rely on unregulated electricity generation through diesel generators to overcome the electricity outages. In an attempt to mitigate the effects of climate change and the extensive pollution problems within cities in Lebanon, the Lebanese Government committed to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to increase the share of renewables in the country to 12% of the projected total electricity and heat demand in 2020. Read more