CAIRO — Protesters demonstrating against ongoing power outages in Libya stormed a key energy complex overnight and closed gas lines that fuel power plants, which officials warned could trigger a nationwide power blackout.
Demonstrators in the capital Tripoli, Zawiya, Misrata and other locations across western Libya have protested for several days over hourslong power outages. They demand better electrical services and have called for the resignation of Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah.
As part of the ongoing protests, a group stormed the General Electricity Company's Mellitah Oil & Gas complex about 90 kilometers (55 miles) west of Tripoli. The disruption could cause a complete blackout in multiple areas and ultimately collapse the electricity network, the company warned in a statement Tuesday.
The Mellitah complex is a strategic energy supplier. Gas from the complex is compressed and sent to Sicily through a subsea pipeline, according to Bonatti, an international contractor that provides services to global energy sectors.
The Mellitah complex sends 30 million Standard Cubic Meters of gas to Italy daily, according to Bonatti.
The closure of the lines disrupted operations and caused a severe shortage in gas and fuel supplies needed to operate power plants, pushing a number of generators out of service, the National Oil Corporation said in a statement Tuesday.
The complex’s workers union condemned the closure of the gas lines, warning that the action had created serious technical and operational risks and endangered the lives of workers. The union called for stronger security measures to protect the facility and staff and urged authorities to take legal action against those involved.
Dbeibah's Government of Unity said Tuesday that the defense ministry secured the Mellitah complex, ensuring the safety of staffers and allowing the resumption of gas supplies, which gradually restored electricity and stabilized the national grid.
Libya plunged into chaos after a NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. The country split, with rival administrations in the east and west backed by rogue militias and foreign governments.
Dbeibah heads the internationally recognized Government of Unity in Tripoli in the west. Osama Hammad heads the administration in the east, where powerful military commander Khalifa Hifter holds sway.