The threat of total darkness has returned to overshadow Lebanon as the dollar crisis drains electrical generators of fuel.
A source from Electricité du Liban told Al-Jazeera on Wednesday that the fuel that is currently stored at power stations in Lebanon is only sufficient for 9 days of electricity supply.
The episodes of fuel shortage that Lebanon periodically enters are caused by the lack of U.S. currency in the country amid a crippling financial crisis.
The said source revealed that 3 fuel tankers are awaiting the approval of the Central Bank of Lebanon to transfer the required funds in order for them to unload at power stations.
The delays in the Central Bank‘s approval for these tankers block fuel from reaching electrical generators, putting Lebanon at a high risk of a full, nationwide blackout.
Due to the economic crisis, fuel tankers refuse to deliver their loads before the exporting companies have received their payment for the shipments from the Lebanese state.
This has also plunged Lebanon into a gasoline crisis that is creating long car queues and chaos on streets leading to gas stations, across the country.
The fuel in the 3 aforementioned tankers is worth around $42 million, enough to keep the generators going for a few more weeks, according to the source.
