Gaza’s only power plant stops work due to lack of fuel

The Palestinian Energy Authority yesterday stopped operations at the only power station in the Gaza Strip due to a lack of fuel to operate it.

“The Energy Authority informed us this afternoon that it had stopped work at the power station because there was no fuel to operate it,” said Mohammad Thabit, director of public relations and information at the Gaza Electricity Distribution Company.

“We currently have 120 megawatts per day coming from Israel after the Egyptian lines stopped working nearly three months ago. We will try with the available energy to maintain the four hour schedule, but the hours of power outage will exceed 12 hours,” he added in an interview with Quds Press.

The company said in a statement on Wednesday that it was “very difficult to collect the necessary revenues to meet the various financial obligations towards energy suppliers as well as the operating costs.”

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The company explained that the economic conditions and pressures will significantly affect the continued provision of services, adding that it fears that it will not be able to continue to perform its normal services.

It warned that this situation will endanger every aspect of Palestinian lives in the besieged Gaza Strip and will affect the provision of other services including in the health and medical sectors.

The company called on the international community and international humanitarian relief institutions to act urgently to stop the deterioration of electrical services.