Explosion at a power station causes blackouts in western Libya

The national power grid in western Libya experienced a total blackout on Saturday night, cutting off electricity from the capital, cities along the western coast, and extending to the Nafusa Mountains.

The General Electricity Company stated on its official Facebook page that “an explosion occurred near the power station in the city of Al-Zawiya, causing several generation plants to go offline.” It added that specialized technical teams had begun their work to determine the causes of the explosion and investigate the technical circumstances surrounding it.

The company reassured citizens that efforts were ongoing to gradually restore the power supply, anticipating a return to normal operations in a short time.

Activists circulated videos showing smoke rising from the Al-Harsha power station in Al-Zawiya, with no information emerging regarding the cause of the explosion or whether it was deliberate.

Over the past few days, the city of Al-Zawiya has been subjected to a wave of drone attacks by unknown parties targeting critical infrastructure such as fuel storage tanks, power stations, and water desalination plants. No group has claimed responsibility for these attacks, and Libyan authorities have not yet identified those behind them.

This is neither the first time nor the first instance this year that the power grid has suffered a complete blackout. The eastern, central, and western regions experienced similar conditions twice this summer. Meanwhile, the electricity company has been implementing load-shedding measures across cities and regions, meaning daily power cuts lasting between five and 12 hours.