Gaza: Power Plant At Full Capacity For First Time In 6yrs

Gaza Energy Authority: The Power Plant Operating At Full Capacity For The First Time In Six Years

August 4, 20120 comments

Press Release
Government Information Office
02/08/2012

In a new chapter of Palestinian victory over adversity, after six years of bitter human suffering in Gaza Strip due to the siege and the destruction of the only power station in Gaza Strip by Israeli bombs in 2006 which paralyzed Gazan life, the Power and Natural Resoures Authority announce that today the Power Station is operating at full capacity for the first time in six years, the culmination of strenuous and continuous efforts by the Authority to rebuild in spite of extreme difficulties presented by the siege preventing necessary tools and equipment from entering Gaza.

Gaza Power Plant

The Power and Natural Resoures Authority announces this national achievement and dedicates it to the generous Palestinian people, victims of the Israeli siege, and martyrs and casualties of the Israeli oppressive war, and confirms the following:

- Running the Power Station at full power will be at night only for the time being, and during the day 60 megawatts only will be run due to the limited supply of fuel, which is still less than the 600,000 liters of diesel the station needs daily.

- The current total energy needs are 360 megawatts, while the amount in 2006 was 240 megawatts. This increase is due to natural population growth and urban development in Gaza. The fuel that is now available to run the power station cannot produce more than 240 megawatts even including the Israeli and Egyptian lines – this is largest amount of fuel provided in the history of the Gaza Strip, with varying the periods of consumption during the year.

- For the power station to be able to run at full capacity, all parties, especially Egypt, must carry our their responsibilities to allow adequate fuel supplies to arrive so the station will run, specifically the Qatari fuel. We also demand that international institutions pressure the Israeli occupation to end the siege, thus the suffering of the Palestinian people. The International Institutions should also speed up implementation of a natural gas line from Egypt to Gaza to solve the fuel problem. It also stresses that the parties concerned need to expedite the implementation of projects to link Gaza with the Egyptian and the Arab networks, which were previously approved to cover the entire deficit in the Gaza Strip.

Finally, we in the Power Authority express our thanks and our deep appreciation for all who stood by our side to achieve this huge national achievement, especially the Islamic Development Bank for financing the project, and Egypt and Qatar for providing us the donated fuel. We hope that the Arab and Islamic nation will permanently provide us with all our fuel needs, and continuously strengthen Palestinian steadfastness against the Zionist occupation and the international siege.

Translation by Mukarram AbuAlouf

Revised by JWP

ENDS

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