Lebanon's Electricity Authority Reports Challenges Repairing Southern Power Outages

The Electricity Authority of Lebanon issued a statement addressing the situation as follows:

It announced that the recent and ongoing Israeli attacks since March 2 have inflicted severe damage on the high-voltage transmission network, resulting in significant challenges to providing electrical power to many Lebanese regions, especially in the south. The outages caused by the aggression are detailed below:

The 66 kV Sultaniyah station was taken out of service due to a direct strike on March 19, 2026. The authority has prepared the necessary equipment for maintenance work and is awaiting suitable conditions to begin repairs.

On April 1, 2026, the two main 66 kV transmission lines feeding the Wadi Jilo and Sultaniyah stations were disabled by Israeli attacks. These lines sustained heavy damage, including the destruction of a high-voltage tower and breaks in conductors across various locations. The authority immediately initiated the installation of a new tower; however, technical teams were unable to complete the work due to multiple air raids near the work sites. Workers narrowly escaped injury and had to evacuate, leaving maintenance equipment suspended on the high-voltage towers until security conditions allow resumption of repairs.

The primary 220 kV substation in Tyre was taken offline on April 16, 2026, following the severing of conductors on the Zahrani-Tyre 220 kV line. The authority succeeded in repairing the line by April 18, 2026, restoring power to the Tyre station, which supplies the city and its surroundings, during a ceasefire that was short-lived.

The main 66 kV substation in Marjayoun was rendered inoperative on May 28, 2026, after the main 66 kV Abd Al-Al-Marjayoun transmission line was damaged by Israeli attacks near the station, destroying a high-voltage tower. This line was the only one still operational feeding the Marjayoun station after the backup 66 kV Sultaniyah-Taybeh-Marjayoun line went out of service in March 2026 due to Israeli assaults. The backup line suffered severe damage that remains unassessed because it lies in areas still under occupation. Consequently, the Marjayoun main substation is now completely isolated from the Tyre station and Abd Al-Al plant. The Marjayoun station supplies extensive areas including Marjayoun district, Shebaa, Al-Arqoub, and Hasbaya, all currently without power.

Additionally, this same transmission line sustained further serious damage on June 7, 2026, following Israeli shelling of the villages Yahmar and Qlaya in Western Bekaa.

Since the Israeli withdrawal from the villages of Balat and Dbayin, the authority has been in continuous contact with the Lebanese Army alongside the International Red Cross, which is assisting in obtaining the necessary approvals and securing work sites to commence repairs along the line from Marjayoun to the Abd Al-Al plant.

Given these dire circumstances, the authority wishes to inform the citizens that it is exerting maximum effort to repair the damages in the southern areas affected by the attacks, relying exclusively on its own budget and revenues. Repair work will resume once the appropriate conditions and official approvals are secured to ensure the safety of its workers and users.

The Electricity Authority of Lebanon will update the residents of the south with any new developments as information becomes available.