Construction of a 100MW solar photovoltaic power plant in the town of Kufra in south-eastern Libya has commenced. Prime Minister of the Eastern Government Abdullah Thinni launched the project and laid the foundation stone for the construction.
The solar project is in line with the 2030 vision of the General Authority for Electricity and Renewable Energy, based in the East, which aims to exploit alternative and clean energies, particularly solar and wind power.
The power plant will occupy an area of 200 hectares and construction has been entrusted to a Chinese company. Upon completion,it will reinforce the electricity network of the city of Kufra, which is currently supplied by a thermal power plant consisting of 3 units of 25 MW each. The power plant has been out of service for several months due to a fuel supply problem following the unrest in this North African country. Two of the three units of the thermal power plant have recently been rehabilitated.
State of energy in Libya
Libya is one of the countries blessed with high potential of solar and wind energy. The country currently produces energy of 33 TWH to meet the demand on the local electricity market.
The demand on energy will substantially increase in the near future,leading to more consumption of oil and gas which causes a reduction in the national economical revenue and more carbon dioxide emission.
In 2013, the Libyan government launched the Renewable Energy Strategic 2013-2025 Plan, which aims to achieve 7% renewable energy contribution to the electric energy mix before end of 2020 and 10% by 2025. This will come from wind, Concentrated Solar Power, solar PV and solar heat.
